Don't Let Me Go
by Mistrus
Summary: "Don't let go." The cold seeped into her bones and her teeth started chattering. Daryl shook his head, his eyes just as fearful as hers. "Please, don't let go." The truck tumbled forward and they were forced underwater. She was pulled from Daryl's grasp by the force of the motion but held onto the rope tightly before that too snapped. DD/OC [Rated M for later chapters]
1. Prologue

I'm back, just not with Harry Potter. I am currently in love with The Walking Dead. I caved and watched Season 1, 2, and what there is of Season 3 and I fell in love. Now this story came about because of a discussion I had with a close friend and I couldn't shake it. in fact it was so potent I actually have over twenty chapters written already. Hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, I'm just stealing the characters for my own entertainment for a while.

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"I am not crazy! I'm just mildly paranoid." An average looking brunette looked at the thirteen foot concrete wall going up around the land she had recently purchased.

"That's a four foot thick, thirteen feet tall, concrete wall that is sunk into the ground an additional three feet. You have electrified razor wire on the top. What the hell? You could be giving some of that money to charity but you are creating a bloody fortress." A black haired woman stared at her like she was insane and the brunette shrugged.

"I have given money to charity besides, it's _my_ money, not yours. I wanted to build a place where we could be safe if anything happens. That's also the reason for the large underground bunker they finished two months ago." She smiled as she watched them start on one of the sixty guard towers that would ring the land. Her property was over thirteen square miles and she wanted it secure.

"You have got to be kidding me. You are wasting that money." The black haired women sneered and started to walk away. The brunette frowned slightly. What did she care? It was her money and she had more than enough left. This only put a small dent in the amount she had won. Still she knew what the she wanted and she was just throwing a tantrum because she wasn't going to get it and she knew it.

"No matter what you say I am not giving you any for that stupid car you want." She looked over her shoulder to the black haired woman who stiffened. "Do you know how many people that this could potentially save? I have over forty houses in there, more than enough space for close to four hundred people and there are still more being built. I have enough supplies to last ten years and enough ammo to last longer." The black haired women whirled around, her face red.

"It's nothing too you. Sixty seven grand is all I need and you are refusing to give me anything! I thought we were friends!" The black haired woman's eyes were narrow slits and the brunette felt tears prick her eyes.

"I did too, Sammy. I thought we were friends. I offered to buy you a reasonably priced car and you turned me down. I offered you twice and you said you didn't need anything and you didn't want our friendship to change because of my winnings." The brunette turned around with her arms over her chest. "Now you sit there and demand I give you money for a car. If you continue with this tantrum, our friendship will be over, Sammy. Grow up. Remember why we were friends and maybe I might change my mind." She brushed a strand of hair from her face and shook her head.

"You are such a bitch. Go die in a hole, Briana." Sammy turned around and Briana sighed. There went another one. She had won the one-in-a-trillion jackpot. Fifty million in one lottery and thirty five in another. Ever since then she had lost friends and a few family members. The ones who mattered to her most had stayed. They expected nothing from her and supported her no matter what she did.

"Was that Samantha I just saw storming away?" Her mum walked over and Beth inhaled against tears.

"Yes, it was. I can't keep doing this, mum. I knew her for seven years. We lived together and now our friendship is over because I refused to give her money for a pointless car." She let out a small shudder as her mum pulled her close. The small woman had grey hair and aged so elegantly that Briana was almost jealous of her timeless grace.

"It's alright, Briana. You focus on your little fortress of doom." She said it lightly and Briana laughed slightly, pushing away the thought of her lost friendship.

"Not of doom, mum. It's just supposed to be secure and safe for the time we will need it." She turned to look at the wall and smiled.

"I like the flared bottom, seven feet wide at the bottom, right?" At her mother's question, she nodded. She felt quite impressed with the design.

"You bet. Damn near impossible to knock over without the right equipment. One way in, three foot thick steel doors and completely controlled by me. Can't be opened or closed without a certain sequence as with all the trucks I sent in for customization." She smiled happily. She had dreamed about doing this for a long time and this was just perfect.

"How much will this all cost?" Her mum looked at the wall and Briana shrugged. Money meant nothing to her.

"Around four million for the wall and another million for the solar panels and wind towers to power the entire place. I find it to be a fair price." She looked at her mum and her mum smiled.

"And the underground bunker?" Briana watched as he mother gave her a look that made her feel like a little girl rather than a twenty three year old woman.

"Another seven million." She refused to feel guilt about it. That bunker was her pride and joy, it is what housed all the supplies and if the walls were breached the bunker would be the saviour for everyone inside the fortress.

"Those creatures you mentioned won't stand a chance. Not that they could ever reach this far, we are in the middle of nowhere." Her mum smiled as she smoothed down her ratty western shirt. Just like Briana, their clothing consisted of dull jeans rubbed so often with dirty that it became permanent, despite how many times they were washed, and ratty work shirts.

"Undead, mum, and that's the point. It's perfect. We have water, we have food, we have security. Even if an invasion from the US broke out, we would be fine. You can't take out what you can't find." She laughed then. "But yes, the undead don't have a chance against the Fortress of Doom." She smiled at her mum softly and the woman nodded.

"Keep your chin up, baby girl. You will pull through this."

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And end of the prologue. Onwards to Chapter 1!


	2. Chapter 1

I figured I would upload three chapters to let you guys get a good idea of the story. I mean its kind of weird in the plot structure but it will work out in the end.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

Enjoy!_  
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_**Two years later**_

"Do it, Briana!" A dark haired man shouted at the pale and wide eyed Briana. Two years ago the walking dead were just a joke, just a half-cocked reason to build her project. Now they were all too real and she was holding a detonator to blow up a dam and take out everything in the low lands, walking dead included. The lake held behind the dam was huge, over a thousand feet deep in some places and it would be sufficient in taking out most of the roamers and removing them from most towns and cities in the path of the tidal wave of water.

"People are down there, Ben. I can't do that to them." She felt like sobbing as the rain beat down around them. Ben ran over and shook her hard. His brown eyes cold and angry. He pulled his gun out and slid the rack on it before pointing it at her face. Briana felt her heart practically stop.

"Do it or I shoot and do it for you." His voice was cold and sharp and Briana took a deep breath and depressed the trigger. A muffled boom was heard from their position on the hill overlooking the large lake and she watched as the dam crumbled as the water showed its relentless fury. There was no coming back from this. She had most definitely killed innocent people, torn apart families and destroyed all hope in the low lying lands. She straightened her back and felt a cold creep across her bones as Ben lowered the gun and removed the bullet from the chamber. "Briana, into the truck. We have to leave." She looked back and slowly walked to the truck, following him but not trusting him. He turned around and she froze.

"On second thoughts." He pulled his gun out and pointed it at her once again before sliding the rack back to chamber another round. She knew within an instant that he was going to pull the trigger so she grabbed a pack and ran into the dark. Ben cursed loudly, kicking at the truck. He got into the large black truck and sped off, spraying mud and gravel into the dark.

Briana watched it leave with terrified eyes as she pulled the pack onto her back and headed down the hill. Ben was going to kill her and she knew she couldn't go back to the compound until he calmed down. Her heart beat loudly in her ears but the roar of the water was louder. She had done it for the good of her group, that's what Ben had said. She didn't want to do it and she didn't know why Ben wanted to bring her but she knew exactly why he had. He wanted to kill her and now she was going to salvage who she could and bring them back. She was forced to tear everything apart and she was going to fix it. Only thirty people lived in her compound not even a sixteenth that it could hold and she wanted to save as many people as she could or she would die trying.

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_**10 months later**_

Bree looked down at the small group she had spotted a few days ago. They were struggling and she looked over her bow and counted her arrows. She was a good shot and from how many roamers had them pinned in the store, she would need to be better. Well she would if she had enough arrows but she was down to six and she needed those for roamers she could retrieve them from. She put the bow over her shoulder and carefully climbed down the fire escape she had been crouched in and without looking pulled a few fire crackers from her pack. With deft hands she lit them and threw them behind the crowd of roamers. They went off in a noisy and bright display. Temporarily gaining their attention. She cut her hand and wiped it on the wall. At the scent of fresh blood the roamers stumbled towards her and Bree ran quickly across the street. They followed and she led them through the streets, leaving a deliberate trail of blood along the way. More Roamers started following and she caught sight of the perfect spot to set up her fireworks. A hand grabbed onto her shirt and she tugged forward, breaking the grasp.

"Fucking roamers." She whirled around and jabbed a knife into the walker's temple before bolting to the spot. Bree quickly set up a tightly wrapped package of fireworks and spread blood over it to draw the roamers in before lighting the fuse. She bolted to the nearest fire escape and hauled herself up. As she hoped, the roamers descended on the fireworks and she slowly counted back from ten, she reached five and the fireworks exploded simultaneously. Bits of blood, brain and flesh flew through the air and she jumped down before bolting back to the little store front. She threw a trash can through the window and hopped inside. The small group pointed several guns on her and she pulled down the black scarf that covered her face. They didn't relax but she was used to that.

"It's alright. I created an opening so that you can get somewhere safe. Follow me." She turned around and pulled the scarf up once again.

"Why should we? You could just be leading us into a trap to steal our supplies." A younger man who still had his baby fat barked it out and Bree resisted the urge to roll her eyes, obviously he was trying to be tough.

"Because those roamers are only gone for a few minutes and I broke the window. Don't even try, I looked for a different way out but the rest are right next to large groups of roamers. Follow me or don't, it's up to you. Think about it, I could have easily broken the window and let the roamers get you if I wanted your supplies." She stepped out and half walked, half jogged down the street away from the roamers that were slowly returning. She could hear footsteps following her and she half smirked from behind her scarf before peering around the corner. A small group of roamers stood in the street and Bree took out a few more fire crackers.

"What are you doing?" A hand grabbed her arm and she shook it off as she lit the small fire crackers. She tossed them down the adjacent street.

"Drawing them away." The familiar pops of the fire crackers and the flashes quickly drew the small group of roamers away from the street and she dashed down it. She kept her eyes on the metal exit door to the tall store one block down. She reached into her pocket and grabbed the key before running faster. She reached the door and unlocked it before ushering the five people inside. Bree looked around before shutting the door and locking it. She pulled the scarf down and gave a small smile, it didn't reach her eyes and they looked at her warily. "The others are inside. You are the last group I noticed in the city. You'll be safe for the night but we have a long day tomorrow." She brushed past them and opened another door into the store's warehouse. Twenty or so people look up at her with a chorus of hi's. She gave a single nod of acknowledgment and waved the newcomer's in.

"I am going to leave you guys to introducing yourselves. I honestly don't remember half of their names." Bree walked around the outside edge of the room and slipped through a door into the old coffee room. Papers were scattered across the rickety table and she carefully looked them over. "I know I saw it somewhere." She grazed her fingers along the papers and grasped a few with narrowed eyed determination.

"Briana, you have been pouring over those maps and lists for hours. You just got back from a two day rescue job and you look exhausted." It was a soft and motherly voice that spoke and Bree just grunted a bit as she looked over the maps, trying to find out where she had put the large moving truck. "Briana, please. You are no good to anyone if you are exhausted. You know this city inside out and backwards and we couldn't find ourselves around the store with the lights out." Bree stopped to look at the greying haired woman. Her soft blue eyes looked at her kindly and Bree's chest twisted at the memory of her mother looking at her like that. Ten months she had been gone. It had taken two weeks for the lake to empty and the river to flow normally. She followed it to a city and was angry to see that roamers still remained. True, most of them were dead but a hundred or more still remained. Probably moved in after she flooded everything.

"Don't call me Briana. It's Bree. I'm fine, Susan. I just need to find the map where I marked the moving truck on. I started it and it's the only one that works. I've been stashing supplies in it for a while. It should be large enough for everyone." She rubbed her forehead and Susan picked up a paper, Bree resisted the urge to snatch it from her hands.

"This one, Bree. You looked at it three times. You need sleep. Even a super woman like you needs rest." The older woman chuckled and Bree didn't find it particularly amusing. She wasn't anything. Out of the twenty seven people she had saved, she had lost fourteen. Six of those were children. "Evan can take watch and if anything goes on we will be sure to wake you up immediately." Bree went to shake her head but Susan pulled the maps and papers away from her and gently pushed her towards the sleeping bag on the floor.

"This is not a discussion, Bree. You need rest." Susan smoothed down her hair and Bree swatted her hand away. Her brunette hair was pulled into a tight braid and she didn't want it messed up.

"Fine, I'll sleep but we still need to get that truck and get out of the city. I'll leave early in the morning." She wasn't even sure what time it was to judge by. It was still light out but the winter had ended and the days were longer.

"That's perfectly alright, Bree. Just sleep." Susan pulled a blanket over her after Bree lay down on top of the sleeping bag, ignoring the chill that permeated the air. She could hear Susan's footsteps moving towards the door and then heard the clicking of toenails on the floor and faint panting. She gave a small smile as Brutus walked over and lay down beside her. She had found Brutus nine months ago. A roamer had him by the scruff of his neck and was trying to eat the frantic dog. Bree had taken pity on him and killed the roamer. The dog had been bitten and she was going to put him out of his misery but he looked at her with wary but trusting eyes and she was lost. Not that she just accepted him, he had been bitten and so she had tied him up and waited. A week passed, then two and he was still just a dog, his wound healed and he still hadn't changed. Bree believed he, along with most other animals, was immune to the virus. She named him Brutus and he had been by her side ever since.

He whined a bit before licking her shoulder. She reached over and rubbed his head before tugging on his ear. She wasn't sure what type of dog he was. Probably just a mixed breed mutt but he was loyal and protective, traits Bree liked immensely. He sniffed her ear and licked it noisily and Bree gave a quiet chuckle before rolling over and wrapping her arm around him like he wanted.

"Are you going to wake me up or are we going to have a repeat of last time? Me waking you up?" She closed her eyes as Brutus started snoring gently. "Me waking you up it is." Bree fell asleep within seconds.

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There's chapter 1 and the introduction of the walking dead. Hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2! This is the last one I will be uploading for a day or two!

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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The prison was lost and they were out in the cold again, Daryl hated how no matter what they did, they never could find a place to stay. They find one and then suddenly they are thrust out into the cold again. They couldn't survive much more of it.

"I reckon we should head north." He looked at Rick and the man stared at him and shook his head no. Daryl glared at him. He was getting tired of Rick's lord and commander act. They needed to be open for suggestions and he knew that going north was the right move. He could feel it in his gut.

"It's too cold, Judith could get sick. Hell, we all could get sick." Rick turned away and Daryl shook his head. They could get sick at any time.

"You don't understand. That's the point. The colder it gets, the slower them walkers move. We hav'ta find a place to stay. Better t' be colder and safer, than warmer and in danger." Daryl shifted his crossbow as he watched as Rick pondered the suggestion. He knew he was right. During the winter, the walkers were sluggish, some were down right frozen. The farther north they were to go the slower the walkers would be and the greater the chance of survivor camps.

"He's right, Rick. We all know it. What we do now means nothing if we can't find a safe place to stay." Glenn looked at him and Daryl ignored the look and watched Rick.

"If you ain't goin'. I am. You guys can stay here like idiots and then die like 'em but I'm headin' north." Daryl strode through the group and picked up his pack. "I'm not takin a chance on dyin' when I know there is safety up north."

"Daryl, wait. We can put it through the group." Rick called out to him and Daryl turned around and continued walking backwards.

"The group can shuv it. I know there is safety up there. A crazy Canadian woman built this giant fortress on her property. Rumors had it that the place had giant concrete walls and enough food and supplies t' last fifteen years. No one knows where she built is so it could still be untouched." He turned back around and he could hear the group following him.

"Why didn't you tell us, Daryl?" It was Carol and Daryl shrugged nonchalantly.

"Because I just remembered that's why. I found a Canadian rag magazine that mentioned it. Had a blurry picture of the wall and the woman who had it built. She was this multi-millionaire but disappeared shortly after her little wall was built. It's worth a shot in my opinion." He scanned the road and walked up to the closest vehicle and popped the door open, turning the key. It remained silent so he moved to the next one. Three vehicles later he found a truck that started. It took a few turns but the truck rumbled to life.

"Do you have any idea where up north it is? This could just be rumors and speculations. How can we be sure?" Rick grabbed his shoulder and Daryl spun around to remove the grip. He looked at Rick from the corner of his eyes.

"In Sask'tchewn somewhere. It said she built it there because of the cold winters or summin like that. Little ass kicker doesn't stand a chance if we don't do summin. This is summin. I'm goin', it's up t' you if ya want t' come along." He pulled himself into the driver seat of the truck and closed the door. Rick knocked on the window and he rolled it down.

"Can you give me a percentage of how right you are? Give me something to go on, Daryl." At the words, Daryl pulled a wrinkled magazine page from his jacket pocket and passed it over. He had taken it from the magazine, he was going to mention it but they had found the prison first. He wasn't even sure why he had kept it.

"Eighty percent sure it's there." He watched as Rick looked at the article. Michonne jumped in the back of the truck, sitting with her back to the back window. It was her silent way of agreeing with him.

"Eighty percent is a lot better than anything I've heard in the past few days." Carol smiled at him as she got into the truck along with Beth and little Judith.

"If you are right, Daryl, we will have a fighting chance." Hershel nudged Rick with his shoulder. "Get another vehicle going and we can start on our way. It appears you are out voted, Rick." Axel walked around the front of the truck and towards a car.

"Let's find a vehicle." He opened the car's door and tried to start it. Rick handed Daryl back the magazine page and sighed. Carl followed Axel and Glenn and Maggie watched Rick for a few seconds before following after Carl.

"Eighty percent is good enough for me." Rick looked over to a van Axel had managed to start and walked over. Daryl put the truck into gear and drove it onto the empty highway.

"I have faith in you, Daryl. I hope and pray you are right." Carol smiled at him and Daryl grimaced as he increased speed and shifted gears.

"Faith has nothin' t' do with it, Carol. Prayer does nothin'. Common sense and knowledge is what saves lives." He looked into the rear view mirror and relaxed slightly when he saw them following him.

"It's what keeps us going, Daryl. Sometimes it's all we have left. It keeps us going." Carol patted his arm and he shied away from the touch but she paid him no mind. He ignored her statement and kept his eyes on the road. It was going to be a long drive, that was the only thing he was 100% sure of.

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_**Several hours later**_

They had been driving for hours, only stopping to syphon some gas into the vehicles and Daryl watched as the sun set below the horizon. He flipped on his brights, watching for walkers on the road but it was empty, he was vigilant regardless of what it appeared to be. They were going to need a map and an idea of where they were if they were going to have a snowball's chance in getting as far as they needed too. Carol and Beth were sleeping and little Judith cooed to herself and Daryl gave a small smile, not even a smile, just a mere twitch at the corner of his mouth. He was a hard ass, that much was true but he had a soft spot for kids. Not a large one but one none the less. After Sophia he didn't want to feel anything. He cursed himself slightly for remembering her and focused on the road. Judith cooed again and he reached across to touch her silky hair.

"Easy there, little ass kicker. I have got no spare hands t' hold or feed ya so you are sweet out a' luck." He pulled his hand back and looked out into the darkness. The radio crackled from Carol's pack and he reached over to give her a shake. She startled awake and he motioned to the pack.

"Git the radio." He gripped the steering wheel as Carol rifled through her pack.

"Hey, are you guys still awake?" The voice on the radio was Hershel's and Carol quickly pulled the radio from the pack and switched it on.

"Daryl is, I just woke up, what's going on?" She sounded tired and Daryl waited for the answer.

"Just checking. Is there any good spots to stop that you can see?" The voice faded a bit near the end and he could hear Carol fiddling with the dials.

"Daryl? Anything?" She reached over to touch his arm and he moved away from it, subconsciously. He didn't like being touched.

"Nashville is comin' up. I'm thinkin' we could find a campsite to rest in, find a couple walkers, kill 'em and put them on the hood and roof t' cover our smell." He spotted a pull off for a trailer park and he slowed down.

"We have a park turn off right up here. On the left." She set the radio down and Daryl glanced over at her.

"Copy that. Right behind you." The radio fell silent and Carol stashed it in her backpack. She looked at him and he put on the brakes and turned. He kept a vigilant eye and looked for walkers. Judith cooed and Carol adjusted the sling she rested in.

"You getting tired, Daryl?" She sounded concerned but he shook it off as he caught sight of few walkers in an empty trailer space. He pulled in and threw the car into park before grabbing a knife.

"I'm fine." He opened the truck door and jabbed his knife into the closets walker's eye. He was soon joined by Rick, Axel and Glenn. The trailer spot was soon cleared and Glenn and Axel brought the vehicles in. Rick helped him heave a walker onto the hood of the truck.

"Sometimes your ideas kind of freak me out. Covering the vehicles in dead bodies. Morbid." Axel looked at him while he and Glenn threw a walker onto the roof of the van. Daryl smirked as he helped Rick pick up another walker.

"It's a special skill that requires years of practice." He grunted as he threw a walker onto the van roof. "At least I didn't suggest cuttin' 'em open and rollin' around in the guts like a hound dog." He could see Axel's face almost turn green at the thought and his smirk grew wider. If there was one thing he liked it was seeing someone's stomach turn with disgust and horror.

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Oh Daryl! He's actually my favourite character in the series and if they kill him off I will stop watching and send furious and tear stained letters to the producers!


	4. Chapter 3

Here's chapter 3!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

Enjoy!

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Bree looked at the few roamers that hung around the truck. She watched them carefully before slowly climbing down from the turned over semi-trailer she had been perched on. She pulled her bow off of her shoulder and notched an arrow before drawing the bow back. She had picked up more from the store she had sent everyone to. She always made sure to have a spare stash around. She trained her eye on the closest roamer and let her arrow loose. It hit it on the back of the head and it dropped instantly. She quickly notched another arrow and drew the bow back once again. She quickly let the arrow fly at another roamer. After a few more quick draws the roamers around the truck lay dead. She retrieved her arrows and looked around cautiously before advancing to the truck.

To be honest, she was surprised it had survived the flood, she hadn't really been indiscriminate about where it would hit, not that she would have any choice, millions of gallons of water had burst through the hole she put in the dam, there was no way she could have controlled it. It was the most destructive thing she had ever seen. Towns had been levelled and homes torn apart but there were no roamers around but that was the only good thing that came out of the entire situation. Supplies were wrecked vehicles demolished and water logged. It had been months since it had hit and things still had yet to dry out. Basements were still filled with water and she had to watch her step in most buildings as the floors were rotted out of them.

She heard barking and whirled around. She could see Brutus running for her down the street and she cursed. Bree didn't like it when Brutus was out of the building. He could get hurt and judging by the amount of roamers he brought her way, she just might get hurt as well. She cursed again and whistled. Brutus skidded to a stop at her feet, panting hard. She opened the door and he jumped up before she did.

"Stupid mutt. Every roamer for ten blocks probably heard you and are coming this way. How on earth did you get out?" She turned the ignition and the truck rumbled to life. Brutus looked at her from his spot between the front seats. It was almost like he had a grin on his face as she shifted the truck into gear and headed towards the safe place. She thought nothing of running into the roamers. Brutus could smell them and growled a bit as she shifted into a higher gear. The gears groaned a bit and she winced. Bree had taught herself how to use a stick shift vehicle and as each vehicle was different, it took a bit to get used too.

Roamers started following the truck and Bree slammed the heel of her hand on the steering wheel. She would never be able to safely get everyone into the truck with all the roamers following. She frowned in concentration and pulled a walkie from her pocket.

"Bree to safe house, do you copy?" The static that greeted her sentence was worrying. "Bree to safe house, do you copy?" There was a faint crackle and she listened carefully, ignoring the bumps as she ran over the walkers bottlenecked on the bridge she was driving over.

"New-left door- roamers inside- lost some- please help." It crackled, faded, and cut out completely but Bree got the gist of the message. She scowled as she pressed on the gas. The store was only secure as the people inside. If someone missed a lock or didn't double check, roamers could easily get in. She slammed the heel of her hand into the steering wheel once again.

"Fuck!" She turned the wheel and looked for 23rd ave north. She spotted it and the horde that was heading there as well, forty or fifty of them on the street in front of her. She laid on the horn and most of them stopped to turn and look at the truck bearing down on them. She braced herself as she smashed through the crowd. Brutus stood up as the truck tried to throw him around. Blood and brain bits splattered on the windshield and Bree grimaced as she turned the truck down the appropriate street. She knew that the carnage in the street wouldn't stop the ones who survived. She just hoped that the truck wasn't too damaged. She doubted it, the roamers were brittle and squishy. Especially since winter had ended. Many of them had frozen stiff and the thaw basically destroyed all the structural integrity of their cells. They were nothing more than wobbly jello filled sacks.

She blared the horn again and she caught sight of several roamers feeding on some of the helpless survivors who took refuge in the store. She could see the front door completely open and put together a string of curses that would have made a redneck blush. Bree did have precautions in place if that ever happened and she knew they would all be waiting for her in the warehouse right next door. She spied the loading dock bay and with a few bumps backed into it as fast as she could. Bree pushed open the door to the truck and hopped down.

"Stay, Brutus!" She slammed the door and pulled out her bow and fired several arrows that hit their mark quickly. She had become an excellent marksmen during her stint alone. She pushed those thoughts away as she quickly pushed open her truck's back door opened and banged on the loading bay door. It opened quickly and she turned around and shot another roamer. "Get your asses in the truck!" Letting another arrow fly, she heard the surviving people jump into the truck.

"That's everyone." It was Susan and Bree let another arrow fly.

"Then close the damn door. We are leaving." She didn't even look too see if they closed it before bolting towards the driver's side door. She grabbed one end of her bow and cracked a roamer across the face with it. In one swift move she opened the driver side door and jumped into the front seat. Even before the door was closed she had the engine running and in gear. Susan moved from the truck trailer into the cab. Brutus licked at her hand as she sat down. Bree gritted her teeth as she finally noticed the stifled sobbing coming from the truck's trailer.

"How many did we lose?" She shifted up a gear and pulled onto the bridge she was positive lead to the street that would take them out of the city. She could see roamers filling the streets in front of the truck so she turned down a different street. She couldn't hit any of them with all the people in the back. She turned on the windshield wipers. Trying to cleaned the blood and fleshy bits off the window. It smeared but after a few swipes it became relatively clear.

"Two of the newcomers and six of the older members. John, just a teen. May, John's mother. Tina, she was your age-"

"I don't want to hear their names, Susan." Bree held up her hand to silence the older woman. "I have had more than enough of that. Twenty two people I've lost in the past eight months. There are only nineteen people back there. I have lost over half of the people I have rescued. I am tired of this." She could feel the familiar burn behind her eyes but she refused to even let her eyes water.

"You are doing a wonderful job, Briana-"

"Don't call me Briana! It's Bree." The words were almost a reflex and she could hear Susan sigh.

"Briana is a beautiful name but I understand. We are all different people now than when we started but you cannot blame yourself for their deaths, Bree. John left the door open, I think for fresh air and the roamers were waiting. This is not your fault. He was told the rules, he should have listened. It was his fault." Susan grabbed her shoulder and rubbed it soothingly but all Bree did was stiffen against the gesture. She didn't move away, just tensed up. "Will you tell me where we are going so I can tell the rest?" Bree scanned the clogged highway and jumped lanes till she was in the free and clear.

"We are going home. To my home." She settled into the seat and was thankful she didn't have to worry about filling the truck with fuel. She had scavenged a full tank from the abandoned cars on the roads and streets.

"How can you be so sure it will still be there, Bree? Survivors move around a lot, they could have left." The older woman sat in the seat and buckled up. Bree hesitated before doing so as well. Not much for crashing just for a false sense of security. They were alone on the road and so it was just for the feeling of having something there to stop her if she really needed if.

"They would be idiotic too. Not many placed have thirteen foot high concrete walls topped with electrified prison grade razor wire." She felt her lip twitch slightly at the thought of her pride and joy. She had never thought in a million years that she would ever have to use it.

"You are so sarcastic it borders on bitchy at times. I really have to think with you." Susan reached over to rub her shoulder again and Bree once again stiffened against the contact. Brutus sat up and licked at her bare wrist. She patted the dog's head and tugged his ear the way he liked. "How long will it take to reach your home?" Bree shrugged.

"Walking it would take us two or three days but we are driving so now it's just two and a half, three hours. We should get there before lunch." Bree resisted the urge to grit her teeth at those who were in the walled compound. Ben stuck out the most, she never liked him, far too cold and pushy for her taste yet he remained with them. As glad as she would be to see her family and old friends she could help but feel little connection to any of them. It was if she had left a good part of herself at the dam that night and she was endlessly searching to reclaim it.

"You must be happy about returning." Her soft and motherly voice made Bree wince slightly as she carefully tugged down her left sleeve in agitation, seeing a tiny bit of skin showing.

"That's not the word I would use. Things have changed. _I _have changed. I don't know what place I will have back there." The words burned with honesty and she wanted to choke on them. She should not have to say that but it was true and the truth never changed. It didn't matter if they were at war or in the middle of the end of the world. The truth remained neck and neck with death for its constant reminder of reality. Just like death, truth never change, it just was.

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Onto chapter 4!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 for your viewing pleasure.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Daryl woke up as the sun crested over the horizon. It was a short sleep maybe he pushed four and a half hours but he doubted it. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept in or even slept on a bed. His neck was stiff and he rubbed at it, looking over to Beth and Carol who slept curled around Judith. He opened the truck door as quietly as he could and stretched. No walkers lurked in the new morning sun and he pulled the two off the hood and walked over to the van to wake up the others. Michonne nodded at him as she stepped out of the van, quickly followed by Axel. He jumped farther away from Michonne when he noticed him and Daryl resisted the urge to jump at him and make like he was going to punch him. He knew the man would flinch so quickly he would probably break the sound barrier. The thought made him smirk a tiny bit as he leaned into the van and grabbed Rick by the shoulder and shook him awake. The man was immediately awake, his hand on the gun at his waist.

"We need t' keep movin' forward. Still have a few days t'go." He leaned back out from the van without even looking for Rick's acknowledgment and pulled the dead walker off the van's hood. Glenn exited the van to help Michonne pull the two walkers off the roof. Daryl moved to pull the walker off roof of the truck when the door opened into him sharply. His breath went out in a whoosh and he could feel an ache starting in his abdomen at the hard hit. He looked up to glare at the person who opened the door. Beth looked at him with wide eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Her face was pale and he rubbed at his stomach with a sneering grimace.

"I don't give a rat's ass. Watch what yer doin' next time!" He watched as she ran off, he muttered a few choice curses to himself as he violently pulled the walker off the roof and threw it to the ground. He could hear some of the bones crack but he didn't care. He needed something to take out his sudden aggression on. Better the walker than Beth. Not that he would ever think to hit a woman but his father had no qualms and he had learned all the lessons of what not to do from the abusive drunk. One lesson he couldn't shake was controlling his temper. It flared bright and hot suddenly at little things and just as quickly left for the normal faint simmering he was used too. He never learned how to shake off the little things.

"Do we have time to make breakfast? I just need to boil some water for Judy." Carol came around from the other side of the truck holding the baby and Daryl scowled at her.

"Do whatev'r the fuck you want. I'm not the boss. I know nothin'." He watched her warily as she approached. "Whadaya want?" She passed Judith over before he could protest and walked away. He looked at her as she screwed up her face to cry. He had to smile at the little girl.

"Easy there, sweetheart. No need t' cry over a late bottle." He tucked her in close and rocked her slightly as he moved around the truck to where everyone was standing. "You'll be fed soon, I promise." She looked up at him with bright eyes and what looked to be a smile crossed her face.

"See that? She smiled at me. Little ass kicker is stealin' hearts already." Daryl smiled down at her and a small ripple of chuckles went through the group. Rick walked over and gestured as if asking for Daryl's permission to hold her. He passed her over with a tiny bit of hesitation. The look on Rick's face made him feel guilty for it though. She was definitely the apple of her father's eyes but if Daryl were to be completely honest, he doubted that she could be Rick's. Shane and Lori were all over each other right up to the day Rick came back. They thought they were being sneaky but the forest didn't silence their sounds, just made it more difficult to see. He grimaced at the thought and kicked at the ground.

"So what are we doing now?" Glenn looked at Rick and the sheriff shrugged.

"It's Daryl's idea so he plans what we do." Nodding his jaw towards Daryl who blinked slightly as the entire group's attention was on him. Daryl felt extremely uncomfortable but looked up to face the group. He much rather preferred being on the outside.

"We drive. Avoid the major cities and follow the roads north till we hit the border, then keep goin'. Rumors are that Canada din't have the infestation we did. It should be safer." He sniffed slightly and cricked his neck to the side, cracking it. "Who's goin' in the truck with me?" Carol's, Michonne's, and Carl's hands went up and Daryl nodded.

"We should leave. The more drivin' we get in, the further from this shit hole we get." He turned on his heel and got into the truck. Carl got in quickly so he could sit beside him and Carol followed suit. Michonne jumped into the truck bed and he wanted to ask if Beth had Judith but he bit his tongue as he pulled out of the camp site. Carl sat silently beside him and he felt a bit of pity for the boy. He had grown up far too early much like Daryl had. Not in the same way of course. Rick never hit Carl, Daryl's father had no such qualms about those things. Daryl scowled at the train of thought and pushed it away. He no longer had a family. This group was the closest he was going to get at the moment.

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_**Two hours later**_

Daryl fed the chunk of garden hose into the gas tank of the truck he had parked next too. The others were watching for walkers while he and Axel syphoned fuel for the vehicles. They weren't having much luck. He had tried three other vehicles and only managed to get maybe an eighth of a tank into the truck. Axel sputtered from further down the vehicle line, telling Daryl he had gotten something from his tank. He sucked on the hose and tasted gas, he quickly put the end of the hose into his truck's gas tank and listened. It hadn't taken much to get the fuel flowing so he knew that he had gotten a nearly full tank of fuel. He could still hear Axel retching and he smirked.

"From the sounds of it ya must have syphoned from the sewage tank in a RV. Goin' on like a pussy bitch. Come on, Axel, it'll put hair on yer chest." His smirk grew wider as he heard Axel call him a rather nasty name. "Easy, sugar lips. My mama and daddy were married and while they might'uv had a cousin or two in common, I am far from bein' inbred." He could hear a snort of laughter from someone in the lookout group and he let himself chuckle slightly at his own joke. He could finally hear the truck's fuel tank top off so he grabbed a gas can and transferred the hose to the mouth of the can. He quickly placed and fastened the truck's fuel tank lid with a twist of his wrist and leaned against it, waiting for the gas can to take the remnants of fuel left in the other truck's tank. It was only a few minutes later when the can stopped filling. He pulled out the hose and coiled it.

"We've got walkers, maybe six or seven, coming our way." It was Glenn and Daryl hoisted the two thirds full gas can over the side of the truck and looped the hose around the handle. He reached into the truck and grabbed his poncho and tossed it at Michonne who had jumped into the back in preparation for leaving.

"Thanks." She didn't spare niceties or sit there and tell him there was no need for hat and Daryl preferred it as she pulled the poncho on and sat down. He got into the truck and Glenn and Maggie followed. He didn't say anything as he turned on the truck and eased it away from the line of vehicles. They still had a long way to go. The silence filled the cab of the truck as they got up to speed. Daryl didn't mind the silence, it was better than inane chatter about nothing.

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_**Eight hours later**_

Daryl kicked the tire of the truck in anger. It had kicked the bucket on him and he wasn't happy about it. The sun was nearing the horizon and he grabbed his hair in his hands out of pure frustration. He cursed before slamming his palm into the driver side door.

"Beating up the truck won't make it work." Michonne jumped out of the back with the gas can. "Find another one before we lose more time." Daryl knew she was right but it frustrated him to no end. Luckily they had just passed Cedar Rapids and the highways leaving the city were congested with vehicles. He started looking for vehicles that were unlocked. He walked along the line checking doors until one opened. Daryl smirked as he actually looked at the vehicle. It was a dark blue 2005 Mustang GT. Merle had jacked one back when life was alright. He leaned into it, ignoring the dusty and dry smell. The keys were still in the ignition and he turned them, praying that it would turn over. It roared to life and he nodded his head before climbing in and manoeuvring it out of the line-up. It had nearly a full tank of gas and several classic rock cds that Daryl didn't mind. He drove it over to the van and rolled down the window.

"I like it." He smirked as everyone but Glenn rolled their eyes. "Who's comin' with me?" He looked at everyone and Hershel, Carol and Beth moved over to get in and Daryl unlocked the doors. Judith lay in the makeshift sling on Carol's chest and he gave a small smile to the pretty little girl. Hershel got into the front seat and once everyone was in he took off. With any luck they could make it to Albert Lea before stopping. Hershel looked at the map and Daryl focused on driving. He knew he would have to give up the driving to someone else so he could have a break but at that moment he was back in the old days. When Merle was driving his black mustang around town, just taunting the cops, trying to get them to pull him over without actually doing anything. He could remember the smell of Merle's cigarette and he could almost hear the loud music that he had been blasting. He felt himself relax for a mere moment, letting the memory sink in and pull him away from the present.

* * *

_**Three hours later**_

""S not my fault. How was I supposed t' know that the walkers were havin' a reunion in the woods." Daryl glared at Axel as they tried to get settled in the car. Glen was driving and Daryl was forced to sit next to Axel who was currently ragging on him about his choice of camping spot. An hour in and the campsite was crawling with walkers. They made a hasty retreat and decided it was best to continue driving. If a person got tired they would switch off drivers and continue on their way. It was the reason they had filled all their jerry cans.

"Seriously? No matter where we go, walkers are just camping out in the forests." Axel crossed his arms and Daryl was positive the man was pissed off because he had to sit in the middle. He flipped him the bird and leaned his head against his fist, closing his eyes. "Oh really fucking mature, man."

"Shut yer trap, Axel, before I bust yer jaw." He tried to shut down his brain but it kept moving, kept thinking. He was starting to get frustrated with himself as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Life was difficult, sleep shouldn't have been.

"We are coming up to Bloomington, going to stop and top off the gas tank." It was Glenn and Daryl could hear the crackle of the radio as the reply came though.

"Copy that. Will be doing the same. Following your lead." Daryl thought of the map and was surprised to find that he had slept for an hour. Glenn pulled the car over and popped the trunk. Daryl watched the darkness as carefully as he could as Glenn grabbed a gas can and opened the gas tank. He couldn't see anything moving as the Asian man tilted the gas can. Headlights filled the back window as the van came to a stop behind them. He could hear the van door slid open through the open driver side door. Carol poked her head in the open space and smiled at him. He glowered at her, not particularly liking the smile she was giving him.

"Daryl, Beth and I have had Judith all day and we all know you like her so we are giving her to you to watch." She watched him as if waiting for a reaction but Daryl said nothing and leaned forward, his arms out.

"Hand the little sweetheart here." Carol passed him the diaper bag and then slowly passed him Judith. He cradled the little life to his chest and arranged it so that she was lying across his lap so his arms could be free to rummage through the pack for the sling. She fussed a bit but he brushed her hair from her face with a shushing sound. He was exhausted and the last thing he needed was for Judith to start throwing a tantrum. He dug through the pack and pulled out a bottle and the linen sling. He put it on and carefully placed her in it before pressing the bottle to her lips. She drunk eagerly and he leaned his head back, hearing the trunk close and the gas tank lid being screwed back on. Glenn got back in and soon they were moving once again. Daryl hoped fervently that it was there. They needed something to hold onto and a picture just wasn't cutting it.

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Its slow going, I know but I figure this is a good time to get to know everyone and how they are doing. (Mainly Daryl and Bree but oh well)


	6. Chapter 5

Here is chapter 5!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Bree stopped the truck and looked at the large metal doors. Most of the bridges that they came to were washed out so the two hour drive turned into an eight hour one as they had to go the long way around. The sun was setting as she got out. Susan startled awake as Brutus jumped up and let out a bark. Bree shushed him and walked over to the door. She pulled a key card from around her neck and slid it and her hand into a little cubby in the concrete. She swiped the card twice then brought her hand down to feed it into the machine. Once the card was accepted she went back to the truck and got back into the driver's seat and waited. The three doors opened one after another and she drove though. She stopped the truck once again and got out to grab the key card that the mechanism put out for her. Once she took the card, the doors closed. She was familiar with the system and it felt completely natural, like she had just done it that morning rather than five months ago. She walked back to the truck and slowly pulled herself up. She was exhausted and she could finally admit it. It was if moving through the gates had lifted a weight off her shoulders and she slowly blinked before shifting the truck into first and following the slightly overgrown dirt road between the two concrete walls. She made it so that if someone breached the metal doors then they would have to get bottle necked in between the concrete walls and could get taken out easily. She wasn't willing to give up her safe place so easily and her design showed that much. Motion sensor spot lights turned on as they drove past.

"I can't believe it. You weren't being sarcastic. Those are concrete walls with razor wire on the tops. Are we at least expected?" Susan's voice was still a tad groggy and Bree shrugged.

"I haven't had any contact with home base for ten months. I would think they believe that I am dead. Cameras are all over so I should think they will be organizing a welcoming party." The road continued to a small turn where Bree got out once more and swiped her key card three times before inserting it and going back to the truck. She drove through the second gate and once again got out to retrieve the key card. She slowly climbed back into the truck and they were moving forwards once again. The sun was almost completely set and Bree blinked tiredly as she slowed the truck down to enter the vehicle yard. Several people were there with rifles, as if waiting for the strangers who knew how to get into the survivors compound. Bree stopped the truck.

"Stay here. I have to make sure they aren't going to shoot on sight." She got out of the truck, expecting Susan not to do anything stupid and respect her wishes. The rifles were trained on her as soon as her feet hit the ground. She closed the door and looked at the riflemen.

"Stay there." At the command she bristled.

"You do not point your pathetic little guns at me and tell me what to do. I may have been gone for nearly a year but this is still my little world and here, I rule you. I know it's you, Dean, Charlie, and Bruce. Now stop trying to act tough and lower your weapons before I deliver an ass kicking that will leave you unable to sit down for weeks." There was no joking in her voice. No lighthearted banter, just a cold and biting command and it made her wince inwardly. She really had changed. The guns lowered and she moved forward.

"Ben told us you were probably dead." It was Charlie talking, his lanky frame unmistakable.

"Well Ben was wrong. I can't die. I'm too tough and stubborn. Now can you bring my truck and people though?" She crossed her arms and Dean nodded, his blonde hair flopping into his face. He motioned at Charlie and Bruce who went into one of the small sheds and drove out two quads. Bree heard the truck door open and she gave a sharp whistle. Brutus jumped out and loped over. She wasn't exactly sure how he would react to someone he didn't know in her seat. She took a quad from the two guys and patted the back and Brutus jumped up. Happy to be going on an adventure. She pressed the accelerator and the whooshed down the rest of the driveway towards the main house.

It only took them a minute to reach the main yard and Bree slowed the quad down as they got closer. She could hear the truck behind her and she could see people gathering in the illuminated yard. She really didn't want to see anyone at that moment. When she left, she was a pathetic little wall flower, rarely leaving the main house for anything but gardening and helping the families in the compound. She wasn't sure how they would react to her now. She knew she was sharp and there was nothing left of her old self but a face and a burning need to save everyone. She could make out Ben's bulky form illuminated by the yard lights. A few seconds passed and she finally pulled into the yard and parked the quad in its designated spot. She got off and Brutus followed her, keeping close to her and warily looking at everyone around him, his hair on end, as if sending out a message that if anyone touched her they would be torn apart.

"Briana Dixie Lee Hooper, how dare you, after nearly a year of no word, of no contact, waltz right back in here like you own the place!" Ben stepped forward and Bree held up a single finger.

"Shut the fuck up, Benjamin. Or did you forget that I _do _own the place? I can do what I please and when it pleases me. You have no say in the matter." She gave him a single cold and expressionless look and wanted to laugh at his dumbstruck face. She had been a pushover. Before she would have hung her head and apologized and begged for forgiveness.

She owed him nothing since the dam. If anything he owed her. He had a gun on her and he was going to pull the trigger. Her standing there was a testament to her new found defiance of the man. The truck pulled into the yard and she walked over to the passenger side to help Susan out of truck. The woman's hair caught the light and Bree looked at the auburn tones that were slowly being taken over by grey and silver

"Thank you, Bree. My joints are getting older despite my mind telling me I am perfectly young." Susan smoothed down her hair and brushed off her clothes as Bree walked around to the back of the truck and pushed the door open. The survivors looked startled as she climbed up and pushed the door open wider.

"Welcome to your new home. As soon as you get off this truck you are going from processing. You are going to be tested for illnesses and given some boosters. After that you are going to be assigned a shower. Take your shower and take as long as you need, new clothes will be provided for you. Directly after that you will be assigned a house where you will be staying for your duration here. Now people share houses, here. There are seventy on the property but they are split into three's so in reality, there are two hundred and ten houses available for the assimilation process." She looked at the tired and dirty survivors and sighed. "You are safe here. Everything you went through led you here. Everything I did was to bring you back here. This is your home now, your community. So let's keep it peaceful. You have an issue with a neighbour bring it to me. You have a lover's quarrel, bring it to me. You get into a violent altercation with another member of the community and you are going to brought before me so I can decide if you are going to be expelled from the compound or not. I do not want you to feel like you are outsiders here. This place is now your home and we are your family." She could see the excitement and hope that lit up their weary faces, even the five remaining children looked hopeful. However she couldn't get past the outsider remark she had just made. She had created the compound, been an integral part of it and now she felt like a complete outsider. She shook off those thoughts and jumped out of the back of the truck.

"Help them into the doctor's building. I need to see Dr. Erwin privately." Bree waved her hand flippantly beside her head and she could hear them scuffing around the gravel, helping the survivors out of the truck. She pushed into the hospital building and looked for the short frame of the doctor she had hired when the virus had broken out. She caught sight of him taking a small girl's temperature. Bree knew she should have remembered her name but she was so tired she couldn't remember her own birthday. Dr. Erwin looked shocked to see her but she just grabbed his arm and half-dragged him to his office. She looked around and closed the door after Brutus came in.

"While I am very surprised and glad to see you, Briana. I can tell there is something on your mind." The short doctor sat down and Bree looked at him before pulling off her jacket, then shirt. "I am not sure I am following." He looked at her warily and she let out a shaky breath.

"I was bitten." She winced as the doctor nearly fell out of his chair to get away from her.

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Ohhhhhhh! This is going to be less confusing when its all said and done. There is a point to it all, don't worry.


	7. Chapter 6

And Chapter 6!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Daryl was back to driving and Judith was with Rick in the front passenger seat. They were an hour away from Minot, North Dakota and their gas cans were just about empty. There weren't as many abandoned vehicles around and it was slightly worrying about the fuel situation. They would have to go closer to cities and towns for fuel if they couldn't

"We are runnin' out a' gas. Not many cars around t' syphon from so next is gas stations." Daryl twitched his nose before scratching the sudden itch and Rick sighed heavily.

"Most gas stations are out of gas. It's too risky." The sheriff shifted Judith so he could burp her and Daryl resisted the urge to tell him he was holding her wrong. He kept his mouth shut and looked for the nearest gas station turn off.

"That's bullshit. I was a pump jockey for a few months, they always have reservoirs and they never completely empty 'em. I know what I'm talkin' about, Rick." He slowed down and grabbed the radio. "Turnin' int' the next gas station. Tryin' our luck there." He set it down again and Rick just shook his head. The vehicle fell into silence, no one seemed to mind though. It was a quiet bunch in the car. Michonne, Carl and Beth were in the back seat, making for a rather comfortable silence. Silence was golden in Daryl's opinion. Some things just didn't need to be said, questioned or discussed. He saw an exit for a shell gas station so he decreased the speed and took the exit to the small gas station. Three walkers lurked around the pumps, as well as a few around the abandoned vehicles. Daryl pulled up beside the abandoned building before cutting the engine. He waited a few seconds before he got out, his large knife in hand. The walkers advanced on him and he took a defensive stance. Michonne stepped out to stand beside him, her katana in hand. He could hear the van coming into the gas station.

"You gunna give me a chance at 'em or are ya goin' to kill 'em all yerself?" He looked at the black woman and she just smirked as she advanced on the walkers. He followed after her quickly and grabbed an arm of a walker and tugged it forward only to drive his knife into its skull. He pulled his knife out and moved on to the next walker. Michonne had already killed the rest and he shook his head. His family may have been racist but he wasn't ashamed to say that the black woman was extremely good at what she did. Daryl went back to the car and popped the trunk before pulling out bolt cutters. He scanned the ground, looking for the tell-tale lids that signaled the presence of the reservoirs.

"There's no power, the pumps aren't going to work." It was Maggie and he felt a flare of irritation rise up at her rather snooty tone of voice.

"I'm redneck, not an idiot. I'm lookin' for the fuel reservoirs." Daryl walked a few steps forward and spotted the metal lids of the reservoirs. He walked over and crouched before using his knife to pry up the metal lid that labeled the underground tank as regular. He tossed it off to the side and used the bolt cutters on the padlock that held the secondary lid onto the top of the tank. His eyes were narrowed with determination as he threw the lock away and flipped the lid open. The tank smelled like gas and he pulled out the long measuring stick. It was still half-full. "An' that's why you keep Daryl around. That's a sight for sore eyes." He muttered it to himself and stood up. Everyone was looking at him and he sneered at them.

"I found it. I ain't syphonin' it out." He pushed past them, heading to the building. He pushed the door open. Daryl gripped his knife tightly as he listened for any movements inside. It sounded clear so he advanced into the interior. Most of the shelves were knocked over and appeared to be ransacked. He wasn't looking for much, maybe a lighter or some snacks. Everyone knew gas station snacks never went bad. He tightened his grip on the knife and walked down the aisles, never letting down his guard. He had been at it far too long to make such a foolhardy mistake as letting his guard down. There were several lighters on the floor and he picked them up, expertly flicking the strikers one by one, only three of them flared to life. He dropped the useless ones on the floor and pocketed the working ones. He spied some leather farming gloves and picked them up, shoving them into his back pocket. One never turned down an item that gave both warmth and protection.

"Anything of interest, Daryl?" It was Rick and Daryl shrugged.

"Couple lighters and a pair of gloves. Nothin' special." He kicked a foam coffee cup out from under his feet and headed towards the front counter. They always kept the good stuff in sight but behind glass. He launched over the counter and shook the metal mesh that covered the fireworks. "Got sum fireworks. Think we could use 'em?" He grabbed the padlock and stuffed his large knife back in its holster before pulling out his switchblade, he jimmied his switchblade point into the lock and twisted sharply. The crisp sound of the padlock opening made him smile.

"I don't see how they are useful but you grab whatever you think we might need." Rick was moving around the store behind him and Daryl rolled his eyes.

"I figure, walkers like themselves sum loud noises and sum bright lights. Fireworks have both. What could go wrong?" He pulled them out of the display and set them on the counter. Rick threw him a duffle bag with a laugh.

"More than you could know, Daryl. We are about two hours from the border, according to Hershel, he's not sure if we will be able to cross safely." Rick lifted a shelf up to see what lie underneath is and Daryl smirked as he put the fireworks into the duffle bag and zipped it up.

"The old man needs t' relax. Ain't nothin' gunna happen at that border. Ain't no one goin' t' be there." He chuckled and jumped over the counter, slinging the duffle bag over his shoulder. Rick smirked slightly.

"You better watch it. Some people might think you are actually excited maybe even bordering on happy." At the words Daryl resisted the urge to laugh loudly.

"Me? Happy? Now I think you have the wrong Dixon. I ain't ever happy." He pushed the door open and Carl came running over. He looked at the boy with a frown. "Now whadaya want?" The boy shifted the sheriff's hat on his head and smiled. Daryl raised his eyes brow and his frown deepened.

"Can you teach me how to shoot your crossbow?" He looked extremely hopeful and Daryl scoffed.

"Kid, you ask me that ev'ry chance you git. Yer not strong enough t' draw back the string. No." He shook his head and Carl's face fell. "'Sides, you got ev'ryone teachin' yah how t' shoot straight. You don't need me t' teach ya anythin'." Carl smiled a bit but shrugged.

"But your crossbow is so cool." Carl looked at him with large eyes and Daryl put his hand on his hat and turned him around before giving him a little push.

"I said no." He walked over to the car and jimmied the trunk open. He tossed the duffle bag in there and started loading gas can into it as well. Everyone chattered around him but he ignored it. As much as he did feel like part of the group, he couldn't help but keep the outsider mentality. He was more comfortable on the outskirts of the group, helping and contributing but lingering just outside of it.

"Hey, Daryl?" It was Axel and Daryl turned and wiped his nose.

"Wut?" He crossed his arms over his chest and the ex-con looked around like he was an over exposed rabbit waiting and watching for the hawk to fly overhead.

"I was wonderin', you know? Cause you have experience with the lady folk and I was locked up for an awfully long time. I think I might be a bit rusty at the whole talkin' thing." He frowned and Daryl looked at him before blinking slowly.

"You're goin' after the black one, ain't you?" The thought made him want to laugh. Michonne would chew him up and spit him out before he even knew what had happened. She was tougher than nails and silent as well.

"Michonne, yes but I don't know how to approach her. She's very quiet and I can't get her to talk and I am wondering what it is I could possibly do to get her to talk to me." The man looked so clueless and frustrated that Daryl almost felt pity for the man.

"I suggest ya do nuthin'. She seems like the silent type. If she wants t' talk t' ya, she will. If not, tough titties." He uncrossed his arms and shook his head. "She seems more than likely t' chop yer head off than talk t' ya." He chuckled as he made his way into the group's small circle.

"We've been going for nearly two days straight. How much further did you say we were, daddy?" It was Beth and Daryl scratched at his chin. Hershel pulled out the map and spread it on the car's hood. He pointed to the line he had drawn out.

"We are about two and a half hours from the border, after that, well Daryl is the only one who knows the general direction that we should be going in." At the words, once again everyone stared at him. He glowered at Hershel as he walked over to snag a pen from the old man's pocket. He looked at the map and pulled out the magazine page.

"It says it's sumwhere near a dam. Pretty big dam too. Says it's one of the largest in the world. Called Gardiner ." He circled a spot on the map near Diefenbaker lake. "I suggest we start here. They say that she prolly built it on the south side of the dam. I dunno but it's a start." He handed the pen back to Hershel, who gave a nodding shrug.

"It's better than what we've ever gone on before." He picked the map up and Daryl snatched the magazine page up once again. Looking at the blurry picture. You could only see the barest profile of the woman and the only striking thing about the black and white photo was her wealth of hair. It curled softly around her shoulders and hung down her plaid covered back. His frown deepened as he looked at the picture so he folded it and tucked it into his pocket.

"I know it's out there, guys. Trust me, we'll find it and we will be safe. I promise." Daryl knew it was an awfully big promise but he couldn't help the words from coming out. He knew in his gut that this is the place where everything would be okay and he knew deep down that he would find it for them. Much like his single minded mission of finding Sophia, his only thought was now to find the crazy lady's concrete walls and get inside. He knew that he had to or he would die trying.

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Hahaha! You have to wait an entire day till you learn about what happened to Bree! I am so terribly mean.


	8. Chapter 7

It has occurred to me that I have been neglecting something very important. You guys. My readers and reviewers. You guys are so important and I feel terrible for ignoring you! Thank you guys sooo much for reading and reviewing, it means the world to me! Your reviews and notifications about followings and favourites feed my writing more than you could ever know. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, blah, blah, blah ONWARDS!

Enjoy!

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Bree looked down at the mess of white and pink scars that adorned most of her left arm and shoulder. She had a few on her neck and on her right arm but a majority lay on her left arm. She hated the fact that they were obviously teeth marks. It was the secret she was hiding from everyone. No one, not even Susan had seen her with a short sleeved shirt. No one knew that she had been bitten over and over again. Some of the scars were a month old while the oldest was eight months old. One bite in particular was two weeks old. Scabbed over but it still didn't look pretty. Different shades of pink, red and white coloured the scars and she sunk into the nearest chair.

"I was bitten eight months ago for the first time and I don't know what happened. I can't even remember how I got bitten now. I just was and I was a coward. I didn't want to die and I didn't even have a bullet to put in my brain so I tied myself to a tree and I waited. Brutus would lick the wound but I thought nothing of it. I was tied to that tree for a day and a half and while I had a terrible fever and all the symptoms of turning, I never did. After I woke up a day and a half later, I untied myself and I went a little crazy. I thought I was invincible and I tried to kill as many as I could. " She gestured at her arm. "I am a terrible doctor and they scarred really badly. I learned to be more careful but after each bite after the first, I still felt fine. Much like Brutus did after I rescued him. No infection, no turning and the fever I got from the first bite didn't return for any other bite." Brutus lifted his head and licked at her arm. Dr. Erwin looked intrigued.

"I have the equipment here. I can test your blood and see what is going on. I am sorry I backed away like that, as I can see most of the bites are all healed and you are in no danger of turning but it is habit you see. I see a bite wound and I can't help but retreat." He gave her a friendly smile and she just looked at him, no expression crossed her face and she felt empty. "I think it might help if we swab… was it Brutus?" She nodded and he smiled.

"It is a fine name for a dog. As I was saying. I would take a cell sample from both you and Brutus then perhaps a blood sample to get a better look." He walked over to a small table and pulled out two swabs. "I am not exactly comfortable with taking his swab. He looks like he wants to eat me if I get too close." He handed her the swabs and she quickly swabbed the inside of her cheek and handed that one back. She snapped her fingers and Brutus sat up immediately and she grasped his face and carefully inserted the swab in his cheek.

"Who's a good boy?" She smiled as his tail thumped against the floor. She pulled the swab out and handed it to the waiting doctor. She pulled her shirt back on and adjusted the front of it before pulling on her jacket. She scratched Brutus's head before tugging on his ear. He closed his eyes, enjoying the familiar gesture. "That's right, you are."

"It will take a minute or two but the cultures should be ready to examine shortly. I am comparing yours against Brutus's, then Brutus's against a roamer's and finally, yours against a roamer's. Maybe that will give us an answer as to how you managed to survive so many roamer bites." He talked over his shoulder as he prepared the swabs. "Then afterwards we will do a blood sample. I have a good sample selection from a few roamers and the people living here so that will help us get a base line for the differences, if there are any. Ahh, they are done." Bree watched as he prepared two microscopes with the slides. He looked through it and hummed a bit to himself before switching microscopes. Brutus watched him as if he were a danger he would have to defend Bree from and she patted his head, reassuring him that the short doctor meant her no harm.

"There are several matching bacterium in your salivas. They seem very out of place. Not to mention you both have what appears to be a slightly higher than average white blood cell count. Nothing to get alarmed about but it is unusual. They also are very unusual in shape, making me think that while they function as white blood cells, that isn't their only purpose." He pulled out another swab and swabbed his own cheek. "I need a base line for this test. I am getting far too many anomalies to judge what the normal human oral bacterium culture should look like." Bree shrugged and rubbed between Brutus's eyes. He rested his head on her leg and she started to feel her eyes droop, despite the bright lights that Dr. Erwin had in the lad, lighting up his small work table. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Just as I thought." The doctor's voice startled her, making her realize that she had fallen asleep for a few minutes. "Your oral bacterium is vastly different than that of mine. There are several cells here that I haven't seen before. Both you and Brutus have them. I just don't understand what that could possibly mean." Bree stifled a yawn and looked over at the short man.

"Why don't you introduce a base line variable and see what happens." She slurred a few of her words and Dr. Erwin muttered an agreement as he went to a small fridge and carefully pulled out a petri dish of dark red blood.

"If I introduce the roamer blood to my oral culture first and observe the results then introduce it to yours, I will be able to see and compare the exact responses of your unique bacterium and white blood cells. After I shall introduce it to Brutus's and see how your responses differ, if they do at all." He sounded excited and Bree watched his back as he prepared for the sample's interaction. She wondered if he had gotten any closer to finding a cure for the virus. If she was immune than maybe they could use her blood as a base for the cure. She went back to scratching Brutus's head and tugging gently at his ears. He let out a large sigh of contentment. She almost wished she was more like him. Seeing the world as a simple thing. Good and bad, happy and sad, angry and excited. It was either one way or another with him and she wished she could force her brain to function like that. However it was human nature to be a bit more complex and such an idea was just an unreachable dream.

"Normal reaction between the baseline oral bacterium sample and the roamer blood. Instantaneous attack of prions and deadly bacterium. The white blood cells seem to notice the invaders but they can't produce enough anti-bodies to deal with them. At this point the slide is completely infected. Time it took was only a few seconds. If the sample were an entire human, the infection would have entered the blood stream and organs within hours and killing the victim only to reanimate the spinal cord a few minutes or hours after death, creating a roamer." His voice was rather soothing as he droned on about the reaction of the two samples. Bree wished he would hurry up and infect her sample. She wanted to know what was happening with her 'abnormal oral bacterium'. "Infecting abnormal oral culture." There was a slight pause and Bree's hand stilled on Brutus's head as she waited for the doctor to continue.

"Normal reaction, instantaneous attack of prions and deadly bacterium. Interesting, attack stopped by the unusual white blood cells. Cells are splitting and oh my. Oh my!" He sounded excited and Bree felt instantly awake. She sat up and Brutus picked up on her subtle cues and was instantly on point. "Abnormal oral bacterium culture has completely starved and destroyed the invading bacterium and prions. Once they start invading the oral culture the white blood cells split rapidly and completely surround the invading prion or bacterium. Once completely surrounded the prion and bacterium are starved and they wither. It is an advanced starvation of the invading culture. Most of the invading culture has a life expectancy of eight to ten hours without food and with access to a healthy environment that can last for ten to twelve days, with the abnormal cells present that expectancy is less than a second. This is marvellous!" Dr. Erwin turned around and Bree watched in mild interest as he hurried over to grab a pen from his desk to jot down notes.

"I believe the abnormal cells originated in your canine companion and were then transferred to you when he would clean your bite wound. Once inside the abnormal white blood cells would have destroyed any and all infection. Your fever would be a result of your normal white blood cells treating the abnormal cells as defective and trying to get rid of them. However the process was turned on them and the abnormal cells won out. It must be an interesting process. I wish I could see its entirety in action." His blue eyes sparkled with an amazed fire and Bree blinked sleepily.

"You could easily put the cells into someone else and watch what happens." She yawned and patted Brutus's head firmly before standing up. "I'm sure we would have a willing participant to help develop whatever it is you may have discovered." She stretched and Dr. Erwin walked over with a syringe. She held out her arm and he efficiently put it in the crook of her elbow, hitting the vein perfectly. She winced a bit at the pinch but was mildly fascinated by the blood filling the vial.

"Immunity, Briana. We are talking about a potential immunity to the roamer's virus. This is a medical breakthrough. You and your dog are anomalies, we cannot risk having an adverse reaction in someone else. I am going to have to study your blood extensively to see if a certain type of protein or genome makes it so the abnormal white blood cells can be accepted into your body so readily." He removed the syringe from her arm and capped the needle before putting it in the small fridge. "This just shows that nature will find a way. I guess you could say it is ying and yang. You are given a disease that has a hundred percent mortality rate, nature is going to create a way to fight the disease. This could be that way." He waved his hand in front of his face with a smile.

"I apologize, you are sitting here, listening to me ramble about cultures and your abnormal white blood cells. You have been gone for ten months I do believe. Probably malnourished and exhausted." He pulled out a small light and shined it in her left eyes before moving the light to her right eye. He grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse. "Slightly dehydrated, stressed, and with a hyperactive adrenal gland. Nothing a good night's sleep, a good meal and a bottle of water can't fix." He dropped her wrist and put his stethoscope buds in his ears before pressing the end against her back.

"Inhale." He moved the stethoscope as she did as he asked. "Now release." She exhaled and inhaled again before he could remind her to do so.

"Good, good. Your airways are a bit congested but living outside for months at a time will do a number on your lungs. Just a mild mucus coating to try and protect your bronchioles from the miniscule particles in the air." He took the stethoscope from his ears and draped it around his neck with a friendly smile. "Just learn to shut off your survival reflexes for a few days and relaxing should become easier." She nodded and patted Brutus's head.

"Take care of the survivors. They don't need any harsh news right now." She rubbed her eye and stretched, feeling the pull of her scars on her left arm. "And if you tell anyone I have been bitten, I will personally put my knife through your skull." She nearly winced at how cold she sounded. He looked a little surprised but bounced back from it quickly.

"Don't worry, I do not wish to get hopes up prematurely in case this is just a matter of genetics rather than transferable cultures." He gave a small smile and Bree nodded sharply.

"Good. I am glad to see you again, Dr. Erwin." She patted her leg and Brutus was at her side immediately. They left the office and she nodded at Susan who was currently getting her blood pressure checked. The older woman looked like she wanted to get up and say something but Bree left the building before she could. The sun had completely set and the darkness almost begged to envelop her but the yard lights held it at bay. She had forgotten how bright it was at night here. She wasn't used to seeing lights, everything outside of the walls was in perpetual darkness as soon as the sun left the sky, she liked it. She liked how her eyes adjusted to the darkness, how her hearing became sharper.

Brutus nudged her thigh with his nose and she continued walking. She was going to spend the night at the western house. It sat in a small divot between two hills, it was built and covered with dirt to the effect was like that of a cave. There were no yard lights out there and she knew she would be more comfortable sleeping where no one could find her. She got on the closest quad and started it. Brutus jumped on the back and Bree smiled slightly. Brutus was her only real constant in the world. It didn't matter what she did or how she did it, he never judged, never questioned, and never faltered. He was her quiet companion and she enjoyed that about the dog. She doubted she could ever find another to take his place if anything were to happen to him.

The trip to the western house was uneventful and quiet. As soon as they left the yard, the darkness settled around them and she couldn't help but scan the area for roamers, even though she knew that there were no roamers inside the walls. She turned the key and shut off the quad. The night was filled with the sounds of insects, the scurrying of furry creatures and the rustling feathers of birds. The door to the cabin was clearly visible and she walked over and swiped her key card. The key card slot flashed bright blue before fading to green. She pulled the door open and gestured Brutus to come in as well. The noises of the outside world were muffled when the door closed and Bree crouched down to remove her boots as the lock made a whirring click as the door engaged the auto locking procedure.

She watched as Brutus wandered into what she remembered to be the living room. The bathroom was almost calling her name and she couldn't resist the thought of having a hot shower to clean off the dirt and grime that had accumulated in the five months she was gone. Other things wouldn't be so hard to wash away but she wasn't going to spend time thinking about them. It did no good to dwell on the things that lurked in the dark recesses of the mind. It was easy to find but you could get lost.

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Horray! I did some extensive research about the walking dead virus and the thing that popped up most was that animals could not be turned into walkers/roamers. I used some poetic license to make them have immunity that can be transferred to humans in some cases. It is explained much better further on so I am not wanting to give anything else away!


	9. Chapter 8

Alright! I am writing chapter 30 right now and it is _still_ going on with the story. Darnnit! This was supposed to be a short story!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

Enjoy!

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Daryl smirked at the border, it was completely deserted. Well not completely. There was a herd of walkers mingling about and there really wasn't a good way through. He thought about it for a second when he remembered the fireworks in the trunk. He grabbed the radio with an almost triumphant look.

"I got an idea. Yer gunna get the vehicles as close t' the crossin' as possible and I'm gunna draw the walkers away with sum'uv those fireworks I picked up." He didn't wait for a reply before looking over at Glenn. "Alright, chinaman. Yer gunna wait here an' when you see me comin' over git ready t' go. So git in the driver's seat." Daryl reached down and popped the truck before slipped out of the car. He could see Glenn did as well and he focused on getting the fireworks from the duffle bag. The selection was nice and he took a few smaller sized ones and one big one. He closed the trunk and glanced around the car, watching for walkers. He didn't see them and he moved down the street a hundred feet and set up the fireworks. He lit all the fuses and bolted back to the car. He was halfway there when the first firework went off.

"So much fer my window of opportunity." He stood up straight and sprinted the rest of the way to the car. He could see the walkers turning towards the bright and loud fireworks. He opened the door and slipped inside. "Git down. Don't let 'em see ya." Daryl slinked down in his seat and could hear the second firework go off. Soon the muffled shuffling of the walkers entered his ears. The herd had only fifty or so members and the wave would pass and they would be able to leave quietly and without fuss. He closed his eyes and listened for the sound of the van moving. It was in front of them and after the large firework went off he heard it.

"Git goin', Glenn." He waved his hand and Glenn slowly sat up and put the car into gear. They were creeping along and Daryl felt his pulse race. "Are there any out front?" Glenn shook his head and Daryl gave him a look.

"Then floor it." Glenn did as directed and the car shot forward with a roar of the engine. Daryl laughed and slammed his hand on to the roof of the car. "Wut did I say? Genuis! This is why y'all keep me around." He could hear Maggie's and Carl's laugher but as usual, Michonne remained silent. Daryl picked up the radio.

"Wut did I tell ya? Never question a Dixon. Now, Hershel, what's that little map of yers say?" He rested it on his knee and the radio crackled to life.

"You were right but I don't see the need to feed your ego." It was Carol and Daryl scowled at her words. He didn't have an ego, he was just proud of a great accomplishment. "Hershel says we are five hours away from the lake." With those words Daryl actually smiled and everyone else gave a small cheer. Daryl felt himself relax a bit. They had done it. They had reached Canada with only a few mishaps. Now it was time to find what seemed to elude so many others but a giant wall wouldn't be easy to hide, no matter what they did to try.

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_**Two hours later**_

Daryl sat on the hood of the car, watching everyone move around, stretching out their stiff limbs. The air was cooler here and any walker they had seen was slower moving. They had spent nearly a year with the walkers and from his point of view, it was long enough to understand them and to learn that they were easy to kill and while it was good to have a healthy dose of respect for the creatures when they herded up, a single walker was easy to deal with as long as you took it out quickly and carefully. If you got complacent then in his personal opinion, you deserved to get chomped on.

"I wasn't expecting the temperature to drop this much. Do we have any good clothes in case it gets really cold?" Maggie looked at Glenn who wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Don't ya know? Canada ain't nothin' but snow, hockey and sorrys." Daryl smirked slightly and Rick cracked a smile.

"I guess I'll be the first to say it then. Daryl, you did it. You were right about everything. Now let's just hope you are right about this crazy lady and her concrete walls." He extended his hand and Daryl stared at it, almost unsure about how to react with the situation. He shook his head and Rick dropped his hand.

"'S nuthin', Rick. I ain't dun nothin' you wouldn't. 'Sides, the little one deserves a good chance at life an' I don't mean this one. She deserves better." He slid off the hood and Rick nodded, Daryl mentally applauded himself for the deflection. He hated being the center of attention. Back before the world became so messed up, if you were the center of attention you either did something wrong or you were getting your ass kicked.

"You are a good man, Daryl. Don't let anyone tell you different." Carol touched his shoulder and he flinched from it but gave her a tiny twitchy smile to let her know he appreciated the comment. She gave him a very understanding look and he felt grateful as she moved away. He looked over at Beth who held Judith. He walked over and stared at her.

"Can I hold the little ass kicker?" He looked at Judith then back at Beth. The younger woman smiled and nodded.

"Sure. My arms were getting tired anyway." She passed her over and Daryl cradled the now awake baby to his chest as he walked away.

"Look at ya. Yer gittin' big." He bounced her a bit and she gave him that look and so he did it again. She cooed and Daryl stroked her cheek. "Yer gunna break hearts one day but if yers gets hurt you don't think twice about comin' t' Uncle Daryl. I'll set that mean boy straight." She cooed at him and blinked her brown eyes at him.

"Yes, I will. I'll break his ribs for ya. Show him a thing or two about messin' with yer feelins. Don't ferget it." Daryl looked over at the rather flat land they had arrived at. "Looks s'flat that ya could see yer hound bookin' it three days after ya kicked his ass." Rick wandered over and stood beside him.

"You are good with her. She likes you." He said it almost sadly and Daryl shook his head.

"Naw, she's just got good taste in men." His mouth twitched as Rick chuckled. "'Sides, ya never really forget the face that first fed ya. Here, she needs t' spend time with her daddy." Daryl passed her off to Rick who held her close, as if afraid she was going to be stolen. He turned around and Carol winked at him, he gave her a look and she mouth Uncle Daryl to him. He felt his face slowly get red. He really didn't want anyone to hear what he had said, despite how true it was. He straightened. Who cared that he would be an Uncle to the little girl? Certainly not him. He wasn't going to be embarrassed about it.

"We should get going. Still have three hours to go till we hit the dam." Hershel's voice carried over the small area and several people groaned about having to get back into the vehicles. "Count your blessings we aren't walking. Now go." He shook his head and Daryl smirked a bit. If that wasn't the truth he didn't know what was. He got into the passenger seat of the car and Glenn stopped.

"Do you mind sitting in the back. I kind of wanted Maggie to sit in the front." The asian man looked at him and Daryl glared at him.

"Wut? Can't be more than a foot away from her at all times?" He deliberately reached up and pulled the seat belt on. He normally didn't wear a seatbelt and so it felt constricting. It didn't really phase him as he just wanted to piss off Glenn a bit and by the look on Glenn's face in that moment, it was working.

"Forget it." He got into the driver's seat and Daryl nearly laughed at the look on his face. You would have thought Daryl had kicked the man's first born down a flight of steps.

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_**Three hours later**_

"And where exactly is this dam?" Axel looked down over the edge of the crumpled road. It was a thirty foot drop to the river below and Daryl scratched his head.

"Looks like sumone blew it up. If ya think about it, it was a pretty good idea. Millions of gallons of water an' a large walker infestation jus' down river. All separated by a concrete dam." He crossed his arms over his chest and had to admit he was impressed. "I ain't even mad. The person who though this up was a smart cookie. Tumbling around in the water would kill or tear apart any walker unfortunate enough to get caught in the path of the water." Daryl bit the inside of his cheek as he pondered the sheer genius of the plan.

"But this person could have killed hundreds of innocent people." Maggie almost sounded horrified and Daryl rolled his eyes. Of course she would be the one to be horrified.

"T' save thousands more. I thinkuv it as a necessary sacrifice. The walker virus spreads like wildfire. 'S the hardest thing in the world t' put out if yer tryin' t' save a few small plants the blaze hasn't taken. Jus' blanket the area in water an' hope that the plants survive." He turned around and scanned the landscape behind them.

"It still doesn't seem fair. I mean, this would have wiped out entire communities." Maggie grabbed Glenn's hand and Daryl shrugged.

"Life isn't fair, darlin' an' ya think the virus ain't taken out entire communities either?" He walked past her. "I need t' git up there." He pointed to a tall hill on the horizon. "Land's flat enough that I should see a giant wall from a high point. Y'all stay here and I'll walk. Prolly can't get the car an' van up there anyways." He pulled a pack from the trunk along with his crossbow. Rick passed him a walkie.

"Report every night with a progress report. We want to know if you are safe." Rick grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a hug. Daryl tensed up immediately. He hated being touched. The sheriff pounded on his back and Daryl pulled away and saluted the rest of the group with the walkie. He turned and walked away. He needed to find them a safe camping place so they could move forward tomorrow. He would lead the way and they would follow at a safe distance. It was how it should be. He was a tracker and scouter. He would protect them with all he had and if that meant he had to clear the way for them to make it to the concrete walls, so be it. Daryl was now in his element and he could feel his instincts and senses kick into overdrive. He was good at this part. The sun was setting and so he took off towards the large hill. Hopefully he would be in luck.

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Ooooooooooooh! We are getting close to them meeting! So exciting!


	10. Chapter 9

No, fanfiction is not spitting out duplicate emails. I kind of, sort of missed a chapter. See its supposed to go Bree, Daryl, Bree, Daryl, and so on and so forth but I accidentally Daryl, Daryl-ed, when I was supposed to Daryl, Bree. My bad. My chapter count seemed off and when I realized and I was like OOHHHHHH SHEEEEETTTT! Fixitfixitfixitfixitfixitfix itfixit! And so yah... I'm really sorry but think about it this way. Three new chapters in one day!_  
_

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

Enjoy!

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_**Three days later**_

Bree had woken up at four in the morning. A total of four hours of sleep. She sat in the guard tower with Brutus, she had been there since she woke up close to thirteen hours ago. Well she hadn't just sat _there_, in particular, she had been walking the wall between the different guard towers, since the sun had risen. Her fingers tapped a little beat on her bow. She stood up and leaned against the concrete window sill, taking in the sun's afternoon rays. She had yet to be back to the main house. No one questioned her absence, even Ben hadn't been out to see her. Dr. Erwin was busy analyzing her blood sample and Susan would be too busy learning the way of life to visit. It wasn't that she missed human contact, it was that she missed being physically closer to others. Just having them ten to twenty feet away. Having the human noises, the small chatter, the clatter of pots and the sound of feet hitting the floor as people walked around. It was nice to wear a t-shirt without having to worry about anyone seeing her scars.

"What do you think, Brutus? Shall we go and visit the main house?" She watched as he lifted his head up then lowered it, closing his eyes once again. As if telling her to fuck off because he was sleeping. "I take it that's your answer? Well it's a good one. I wasn't wanting to go either. I prefer it out here." Brutus suddenly jumped to his feet. His hackles rose slightly and a low growl rumbled from his throat. Bree was suddenly tense and ready for anything to jump out at them when she heard it. Muttered curses and the sound of someone struggling through the overgrown prairie roses that grew on this end of the wall. She crouched down and peaked over the wall, waiting for whomever it was that was trying to climb up the hill.

She quickly pulled an arrow from her quiver and gently placed it across the bow so that it would be ready to be drawn back at a second's notice. So much for Dr. Erwin's advice to try and turn off her survival reflexes and relax. Every unfamiliar sound, twig snap or flutter of bird wings put her on immediate alert. Even her sleep was light enough that she could hear a bird land on the skylight. Her life for five months had been fighting, sleeping, and surviving and that didn't just go away with three days of safety. She wondered if it would ever go away.

Another breathless curse caught her attention and she shook free of her thoughts. Brutus's growl grew louder and Bree placed her hand on his head to calm him down. He lay down and his growl just rumbled his chest but his hackles remain raised. She scanned the area near the wall and tightened her grip on her bow. Her muscles tightened as she pull the string back slightly. It took a few slow breaths and then the person appeared. It was a man, he looked like the roses had beaten him. He had red lines across his arms and face, some were bleeding. He leaned forward with his hands on his knees. As if trying to catch his breath. A crossbow hung off his shoulder and he dropped his pack on the ground. By the look of him, he looked like he had been by himself for weeks. His clothes were dirty and heavily warn and he looked like he could do with an actual shower, rather than just a quick dunk in a stream. She watched as he rummaged through his pack. He pulled out a walkie and stood up straight.

"Found it. It's like that rag said. Wasn't expectin' it t' be so big. I mean these walls must be three feet thick." He wiped his forehead on his arm and she bit her tongue, resisting the urge to tell him they were four feet thick at the smallest. "Y'all copy?" She shifted her weight and relaxed her grip on the bow. She could hear the faint crackling of the radio as a reply came through.

"We copy. How far away are you from your last site? We arrived a few hours ago. Had to dump the vehicles so we are on foot." The reply came through and the voice was distinctly feminine. Bree relaxed the pull on the bow string and shifted her weight slightly.

"About a day an'a half from there. I'm gunna try and find a way in tomorrow. I'm jus' glad I found it." He paused and Bree resisted the urge to shout out good luck in trying. "I'm gunna try and hunt summin. No squirrels around so it'll be tough t' find summin easy t' shoot."

"Copy that. We are going to settle down for the night. There are no walkers around so we feel safe enough to make camp. See you in two days, Daryl. Stay safe." The transmission cut out and she waited for his reply. Five months ago she wouldn't have even thought about eavesdropping on anyone. She was that spineless.

"Y'all stay safe too. Don't wanna come back there to save yer asses." The man named Daryl shoved the walkie back in his pack and looked around. "I wonder if there's any critchers around I could eat?" Bree knew there were herds of deer around but he wasn't going to find any this time of year. They were all down south a ways, looking for good foraging. He might get lucky with a rabbit or two but that was about it. He was going to have to really search for anything edible. It was the early parts of spring, where the snow was gone but the days hadn't warmed up enough for anything to really grow. Bree watched as he started to put up a tent and she stood up completely. The angle made it so she was practically invisible to anyone on the ground so she wasn't worried walked over to the stairwell door. She swiped her key card and waited for the blue light to fade to green. Once it did she opened the door and motioned for Brutus to follow. The man wasn't going to go anywhere and she needed time to see if he was alright enough to come into the compound. As much as she wanted to help, she found herself to be wary of everyone around her. Too many close calls to be other than wary. Every survivor group she found she had followed for a minimum of two days. If they showed any risky or dangerous behaviour she passed them over.

Her feet barely made any noise on the stairs, just the occasional scuffing of the rubber soles. She was wearing runners rather than her steel-toed boots. Lighter and easier to move around with. Brutus's panting echoed a bit around them and she swiped her card on the door at the bottom of the stairs. The light faded to green and she pushed through. The sun was low enough that it caused the wall to cast a shadow on her. She started walking and Brutus jumped on the quad she had drove there that morning. She patted her leg and he looked confused.

"No, Brutus. Let's walk." Bree smiled at how excited he looked at the mention of the word walk. His entire body practically vibrated and she smiled as she took off towards the west wall house. Brutus bolted past her and she fought the urge to laugh. The wall grew smaller as she put more distance between her and it. Brutus bounded around her his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging furiously. She grabbed the scruff of his neck and threw herself over him. He yipped excitedly as she wrestled with him on the damp earth. Her left arm twisted and her newest bite mark pulled painfully, the scab breaking. Blood started to leak down her arm and she hissed in pain as she clutched the sore spot. He licked her face as she sat up. She leaned her head against his. "You are a good boy, Brutus." He sat back and panted happily. Bree smirked at him and stood up. Rubbing at the raised scars on her bicep. If she closed her eyes hard enough she could feel the teeth tearing into her skin and muscles. Half the time she was so filled with adrenaline she never truly felt it but the time she did it was one of the worst things in the world. Goose bumps erupted over her exposed skin as a chilly breeze flowed over her. She stood up and both her and Brutus continued walking towards the small house.

She crested the hill and was surprised to see a quad parked in front of the building. Dr. Erwin was busy swiping his key card trying to get the door to open. She smirked slightly. She had changed the locking system so that only her key card could open the door. Like a programmable master key, she could program all the locks on the property to reject certain or all key cards.

"No matter how many times you swipe it, it's not going to open." Bree walked down the hill and Dr. Erwin whirled around clutching his chest. His eyes were wide and she nearly smiled at how startled he looked.

"Goodness, my dear! You startled me. I knocked and when you didn't answer I figured you were still sleeping so I tried to get in but the lock isn't accepting my key card." He adjusted his western shirt and Bree tilted her head slightly. He looked different when he was in normal clothes. His blond hair was starting to grey a bit and he smiled, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners.

"It wouldn't. I changed the key card algorithms. It only accepts my card. I really didn't want to be interrupted." She reached him and the door and swiped her card. The little light faded to green and she pulled the door open. "Come in. I am sure there is a reason for the visit." He walked inside and Brutus hesitated, as if unsure why the man was in their house. Bree sighed and pushed on his hindquarters.

"Inside, Brutus. It's fine." She watched as he slinked into the house. Keeping his eyes on the doctor the entire time. Dr. Erwin removed his boots and Bree kicked off her sneakers and rubbed her scars self-consciously. She motioned for the doctor to come into the kitchen as she poured herself a cup of water. She had snagged some food from the bunker. There were secret entrances to it under all the houses and she used it to her advantage. Bree pulled out a can of fruit and searched for the can opener. Brutus sat between her and the doctor, who sat at the table.

"You are right. I do have a reason for visiting. It's about your blood. You have full blown immunity to the roamer virus as I thought. Not only immunity but around three months ago I made a sobering discovery with the virus. Everyone is infected. Everyone will turn when they die unless they sustain severe brain damage. Everyone is infected but you." He sounded extremely excited and Bree figured he had all right to be. She found the can opener and opened the can of fruit cocktail. She grabbed a can of beef stew for Brutus and opened that as well. After that was done she grabbed a square of paper towel and held it to the bleeding scab on her elbow. She dabbed at it until it stopped bleeding and then threw out the paper towel. "I noticed you lacked the dormant virus cells in your blood. I thought it was a mistake but the more I examined it the more I realized you had been cured." Bree gave a small noise of acknowledgement as she put the bowl of beef stew on the floor for Brutus and carried her can of fruit to the table. She took a spoonful and could hear Brutus gulping down the stew.

"I studied your blood and noticed that you have an interesting blood protein. A protein that is absent in everyone else's blood. It appears to be serving no purpose to the actual biological process or so I thought. When I added the roamer virus into your blood sample, the proteins came to life. They are absorbed by the abnormal white blood cells, I have named them K2 Cells and the proteins I call Martyr proteins. Anyway, the Martyr proteins are absorbed by the K2 Cells and this enables the K2 Cells to function at a higher level, giving them the energy required to split as quickly as they do. The K2 Cells cannot do their job without the Martyr proteins." He gestured with his hands while he talked and Bree took a few more bites of her fruit cocktail. Chewing slowly, finding the fruit almost too sweet. "Now I know that the K2 Cells multiply rapidly as their lifespan is very short but I am trying to figure out how the Martyr proteins are still present. I haven't found anything that could create them and by all rights they should have died off but they are still present. Two to three Martyr proteins to a K2 Cell." Bree finished the fruit and pushed the can away.

"Have you actually witnessed the K2 Cells dying?" She looked at the doctor as Brutus rested his head on her knee. He shook his head and she scratched her nose. "Maybe when the K2 Cells die they are split into simpler forms, as they have to eat the Martyr proteins, the simplest form they could have based on their make-up. Which could be essentially Marty proteins." She wasn't the most knowledgeable about biology but it was worth a guess.

"That makes sense." Dr. Erwin was frowning at her and she shrugged.

"I'm difficult, not stupid. Do you want me to psychoanalyse you and tell you why you act the way you do as well? I used to love to researching topics. Biology was one such subject that I liked to research." She shrugged and stood up, grabbing her can as she did so.

"You are truly a strange individual. I have to kick myself as I should have thought of that theory myself. Now that you mentioned it I can see the direct links towards it." He rubbed his forehead and Bree shrugged. He had bags under his eyes and his face just showed how fatigued he must have been.

"You are probably just tired. Look at something with fresh eyes or whatever the saying is. You should sleep." She put the can in the recycling and picked up Brutus's bowl and put them in the sink before turning on the water.

"I have been taking late nights studying your blood sample. I'm just hoping that we can develop a cure from what we have learned. Having a cure would mean so much to all of us. To humanity. We could be some of the last people out here and we have to try." He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and Bree turned back to the sink to wash the spoon and the bowl. She searched the drawers for the tea towels and grabbed the top one before drying the two dishes and putting them away.

"Well it does no good to have you burnt out. You can use the spare bedroom right off the living room. Go there and get some sleep. Maybe you will get some sleep without getting woken up by every little cough and fever." Bree pointed at the living room and he shook his head.

"I do not wish to impose." He stood up and Bree looked at him with an emotionless face that somehow showed her utter irritation. He gave her a strange look but she couldn't help it. She retreated when confronted with people. On the outside world if you got close, you risked losing them and the grief would be great. The less emotional investment she had in the survivors, the easier it was when she lost some. The children were hard though. No child should have had to die that way and no matter how far she removed herself from them, their deaths still affected her greatly.

"If it bothered me I never would have stated it. Get some sleep." She tilted her head and cracked her neck. "You need sleep and you aren't going to get it hunched over your desk in the medical compound." He hesitated but nodded slowly as if too tired to fight with her.

"Thanks, Briana." He walked towards the living room and Bree watched his back.

"It's, Bree, actually." She watched as he stopped and turned around. He looked thoroughly confused.

"What was that?" He looked at her and tilted his head with his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"My name isn't Briana. It's Bree. Briana is gone." She walked past him. "Briana died out there, Dr. Erwin. She's not coming back."

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Yah, I completely forgot about this chapter. Sorry guys.


	11. Chapter 10

I am such an idiot. Yah, Bloody idiot. This is actually chapter 10. Don't worry, I am fixing it up so you get chapter 9-11 tonight. The chapter before this one is alright, just explains more about Bree and how she is feeling. Nothing important happens, well not really important as in them meeting but please read Chapter 9 again. It is new content and I should have caught the mistake earlier and I apologize.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Daryl watched the small rabbit stop and twitch its large ears. He pulled the trigger and the arrow slammed into the creature, sending it tumbling. Although it was small it would feed him for the night. He winced as his sweat entered the small scrapes and cuts he had sustained from his fight with the rose bushes. He stood up to retrieve the rabbit, once it was in hand, he headed back to his small camp. The sun was setting as he took the long way to the camp, avoiding the large rose bushes. He pulled the arrow from the rabbit and wiped the arrow head off on his pants. The arrow went back into the quiver and he sat down to make a fire in front of his tent.

In the three days he had been gone he hadn't run into a single walker. It was like they had all disappeared and he felt wary but grateful. Down in Georgia they had been fighting them off constantly, never having a night where they could relax and stop worrying about having to take watch. The fire finally took to the grass and he slowly fed it more grass until he felt it was big enough to start adding small branches. He pulled out his knife and deftly skinned the rabbit. He set the skin off to one side as he removed the rabbit's organs, taking out the heart and liver to eat. Daryl took an arrow and pushed it through the rabbit so it could roast over the fire. He wiped his hands on his shirt and added more wood to the fire. He watched the flames as they danced and flickered. The warmth they provided was nice and he rubbed his hands and extended them towards the fire.

As much as he knew the cold would help slow the walkers down, his clothing did little to offer protection from the cold. Even his blanket was thin and half the time he woke up shivering. He had only taken what he could carry so he had to deal with it until the others got to the wall. He rubbed his arms, not even caring if it made him look weak. Merle had always told him that Dixon's never did anything that showed weakness. Showing you were cold was a weakness but Merle wasn't there and neither was anyone else. He skewered the heart and liver on another arrow and held them in the fire.

Merle had betrayed him. Taking sides with that pompous one eyed freak over that of his own flesh and blood brother. As far as Daryl was concerned, Merle was dead to him. Even the thought of the man made his blood boil. He had sat there and fired on him and the group, trying to take the prison. After what seemed like hours Rick told everyone to retreat. There didn't need to be any more deaths over the prison and they retreated out of the busted back wall. Now they were here. Two thousand miles from him brother and anything to do with his old life and he was grateful for all that space but he still could have done with another thousand or so miles. He pulled the arrow out of the fire and touched the heart and liver, feeling the crisp outside he pulled them off and ate them, his stomach rumbling loudly as if welcoming the food. He hated to think how everyone else was faring. He didn't take any of the meagre food supplies the group had but he didn't think it would last that long. Even Judith was down to under a half a container of formula. There had to be something over the wall or they were going to starve.

He looked at the sloping concrete and then over to the straight wall of the watch tower. When he was far enough away he could see there were dozens of the towers lining the walls. As if they needed to defend the wall from an army. The woman who built it must have been extremely crazy in Daryl's personal opinion. He rotated the rabbit over the fire and pulled out the magazine page. He looked at the picture and almost wished he could have gotten the chance to talk to the woman. Sure she was rich but according to her article she had a shitty childhood and just had the right amount of luck to strike it rich. Besides, anyone with the knowledge to build the walls with a substantially wider base than top got a few points in Daryl's book. The article said she had known her way around a car, a gun, a bow, and most importantly she had the knowledge to survive, she seemed intelligent and a survivor. Daryl hated school but he was no slouch in the intelligence department either.

"Ya on the other side of that wall?" He tapped the picture and looked up at the top of the wall where the razor wire rested. "If ya are, who's with ya? And why didja build it? An' do ya have any room fer a few more?" He folded the magazine page and stuck it back in his pocket as he rotated the rabbit once more. He knew it was pointless talking to the wall but it helped ease some of the biting loneliness he felt since leaving the group. He even missed Carol's playful innuendos. Not that he was interested in her, she was a comforting figure, much like an older sister or a mother. He could relate to her as her own husband had beaten her. She had lived through the same things he had.

He hadn't realized when he started to get attached to those in the group but he had. Even Axel, the druggie ex-con had grown on him. Quiet Michonne did too. He had found himself in the group with people relying on him as Rick's right hand man. When Rick had gone bonkers they had looked too him for instruction and guidance. He had done so with only a few hiccups. He wasn't used to human interaction that was kind or supportive. Even Merle had been an utter failure as a brother and a care taker. It was the drive not to be like him that had set Daryl on his path, he didn't want anyone in his group to get hurt and that meant even taking care of little Judith most of the time when he was done his rounds. He missed the little one, she symbolized hope and promise for the future. It would be a big burden for her to hold as everyone's hopes and dreams started to rest on her shoulders and Daryl had decided from the moment he had set eyes on her that he would do his best to protect her from the strain it would cause.

He looked around as howls filled the quiet of the night. He rotated the skewer and then cut off a chunk of the hindquarters to eat. He continued eating from the skinny rabbit and as he did his mind wandered to what might lay beyond the wall. What if the walker virus had infected those who lived there? What if it wasn't a place to keep people out but a place to keep things in? What if the reason there we so little walkers around was because they quarantined them inside the walls? The questions bounced inside his skull, making it throb. He was positive that the area was clear. No one built a giant fortress in preparation for an outbreak that would never happen. It had but that wasn't the point. The point was the woman would have never known it would happen so the walls were built for a different reason. A reason Daryl truly wanted to know. Was it to hide herself and her wealth away? Was it to keep everyone and everything at bay? What was it that possessed the woman to build giant walls in the middle of nowhere?

His eyebrows pulled down as he went deeper in thought. He absently picked at the rabbit, not really paying attention to what he was doing. He believed the mystery of the woman is what appealed to him most. He wanted to know her reasoning behind everything she did. For the first time in his life, the mysterious, barely there partial profile and curly hair had him absolutely fascinated with the creature they belonged too. She seemed insane but in this new world, it helped to be a bit crazy. Sanity was important but to survive you had to do crazy things. It was just how it was now. Normalcy was a joke, sanity was a lie, and living was just temporary.

The static of the walkie startled him and he licked his fingers clean before going into the tent to retrieve the only line of communication he had to the group.

"Daryl? You there?" It was Rick and Daryl wiped his hand off on his shirt.

"I copy. Whadaya want?" He sat back by the fire, trying to get closer to the meagre warmth it provided. His sleeveless shirts just weren't cutting it.

"Just checking in. Making sure you are alright." There was a pause and Rick came back through. "Yah, just checking in on you." Daryl knew something was wrong just by how Rick sounded.

"Thanks, brotha. I'm fine. Gunna tackle this wall tomorrow. Hopefully I can git over easily and find a way for ev'ryone else t' git in." Daryl looked at the bare bones of the rabbit and scraped them off into the fire. Cleaning his arrow on the hem of his shirt. "I suggest ya spit it out, Rick. I know ya wanna say summin. Might as well go on an' say it."

"We are out of food, Daryl." Rick sounded defeated and Daryl could see why. "Someone or something came into camp and took it all. Judith is nearly out of formula and I don't know what to do, Daryl." He cursed soundly and brought the walkie up to his face.

"I can come back. Do sum huntin'. Make sure y'all git some food int' yer bellies." He tugged his hair in frustration. This was important, his group, his family was in need. "The wall can wait a few more days."

"No. We can hunt, Daryl. It's the formula for Judith that I am worried about." He could hear Rick sighing. "If this compound is as stocked as that page says it is, there should be formula there. Just get in and get back out." Daryl had to agree that was slightly more important but he felt torn between completing the mission and going back to protect the group. He didn't have a choice though. Rick had told him to finish what he started.

"Alright, Rick. Jus'- Shit. Jus' make sure y'all leave bright an' early. Git to that big hill an' ya should see the wall through the 'noculars. Make sure y'all git here. No stoppin', ya have t' come straight here. I ain't feelin' good about leavin' y'all t' fend for yerselves but I don't have a choice." Daryl rubbed his face. "Make sure y'all git here safe an' sound. I ain't wantin' t' have t' go back there an' save yer asses like I always do."

"We will do that, Dary. Thanks for this. Taking us up here. Its colder but it's safer for everyone." The man sounded like he wanted to cry and Daryl pressed his knuckles to his forehead.

"Awww Rick, don't git all emotional on me. Are ya a man or a pussy?" He turned off the walkie and tossed it back into the tent. He didn't need that emotional garbage right now. He needed to be completely focused on what he had to do. No distractions to cloud his judgement but the thought of his group going hungry for the night while he had a warm meal infuriated him. He picked up the bucket of water by the fire and dumped the contents onto the flames. The small campsite was plunged into darkness and he threw the pail at the wall. Angry with himself for reasons he knew he couldn't possibly control he got into the tent and zipped it up before wrapping himself up in the blanket. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Daryl woke up to the sound of someone walking around his campsite. It was light out but not enough for the sun to have risen. He grabbed his knife and got to his knees. With one smooth move he opened the tent and stepped out. A person sat by his campfire, now blazing bright, eating a can of spam. He didn't even flinch at Daryl's sudden appearance.

"Who the fuck are ya? What are ya doin' in my camp?" His feet were in the defensive position and he bounced slightly.

"Oh shut up, Daryl. I'm eatin' here." At the voice Daryl cursed and kicked at the nearby bucket. Sending it bouncing off the wall.

"What the fuck, Merle? Yer supposed t' be chummy with that weird ass guvner in that prison, two thousand miles away." He kept his knife out and Merle shrugged.

"Spent 'nough time in prisons. 'Sides, I ju' got my little brotha back. Did ya really think I would let ya slip away that easy. We're family. Blood. The Guvner didn't understand so I left." Merle lifted his handless arm.

"What makes ya so sure I wanted ya t' come find me? What makes ya think I would accept ya back? Ya tried killin' me an' ya tried killin' the group." Daryl had never felt so angry in his entire life. "Ya tried killin' my family. That jus' dun't sit right, man. Ya ain't my family. Not anymore." Merle stood up and Daryl glared at him.

"Blood's blood, Daryl an' ya can't change that. Those weak people ain't cha family. I'm ya family. Dixon's stick together. Always." Merle almost looked hurt and Daryl felt nothing for him but hatred. This man was worse than their father.

"It was you that took their supplies wasn't it? Ya took their supplies an' left 'em t' starve." He felt a jaw tighten and his eyes narrow as he looked at him.

"They are jus' spineless people. Ya ain't related to 'em, Daryl. I'm yer family. I am the only family ya have." Merle held his arms out to his sides and Daryl shook his head. "I could'uv killed 'em but I didn't. I jus' took sum canned food and yer getting' all emotional with me, Darlena." At that Daryl snapped, he extended his knife.

"Don't call me that!" He launched at his brother and an arrow suddenly hit his knife with enough force to knock it out of his grip. He jumped back and noticed Merle had done the same. Daryl looked out the way the arrow flew from and caught sight of a small figure in all black. They had their bow drawn back with another arrow notched. Daryl was surprised to see that it was a homemade long bow. The string probably made of sinew. It was a nice looking bow in his opinion.

"Are you two love birds done?" The voice was muffled by the scarf covering the person's lower face. Daryl retrieved his knife and the arrow used to knock it out of his hand. It was clearly homemade too. Almost a nice looking as his, almost but not quite.

"Who the fuck do ya think ya are?" Merle started advancing and the person let an arrow loose so quickly that Daryl almost missed it. It stuck into the ground right in front of Merle and the large man stopped with wide eyes. "Oh you best hope the next one hits me an' drops me 'cause if I don't. I'll be shuvin' one of yer arrows through yer fuckin' throat." Daryl got ready to throw Merle to the ground if he tried anything. The person was obviously wasn't wanting to hurt them. If they were camped around maybe they could help him get over the wall.

"Shut it or the next one goes through your skull." True to the words the drawn arrow was aimed at Merle's face but the voice is what got Daryl. It was so cold and commanding that Daryl knew not to move a muscle. Merle stopped as well, anyone with that commanding of a voice and that much inclination to violence had to be respected. It was how Merle worked. You had to be tougher than him to get him to stop in his trucks. He respected strength and power and the person seemed to have both. Daryl stepped forward but the person trained the bow on him within a fraction of a second.

"Forgive my completely brainless brotha. The name's Daryl an' I was wonderin' if-"

"I don't care about your names, who you are and what you are doing. I was sent here to retrieve you." The person let the tension out of the bow and pointed one end at him. Daryl frowned. "I was supposed to take you inside but that big brainless oaf might have taken that privilege away. We don't like his kind. Violent and untrustworthy. Unpredictable."

"What can I say? If ya don't know what yer doin', no one else will." Merle smirked and Daryl knew he was going to go for the gun he had tucked in his waist band at his back. This person was his only hope to get inside the walls and he didn't want Merle's stupidity to ruin it, however it looked like it would.

* * *

Merle is back! I never took him for staying in the prison or really apologizing for anything. I know when season 3 let off he was declared a traitor but the guy hates Rick much more than he hated the Governor. However blood is blood and Daryl is still his little brother.


	12. Chapter 11

It didn't feel fair to just give you that real chapter 9 so I decided I would up chapter 12 too. So prepare for another chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

Enjoy!

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Bree watched the two men carefully. The bigger one was going to go for his gun, she knew he would but she didn't know when. She had sent Brutus behind the small camp for that reason. She knew the smaller man, Daryl, would have come willingly but his brother seemed like the type of person to cause problems but as soon as he went for the gun behind his back Brutus would attack and the problem would be solved.

"Don't be stupid. I am warning you now." She left her bow undrawn and she waited. He chuckled.

"Or what? What can ya do t' me?" He went for his gun and Brutus burst from beside the tent and hit the man between the shoulder blades. She watched with morbid curiosity as Brutus stood on his back and bit down on the back of his neck.

"Don't you move." She pointed her bow at Daryl and he glared at her but backed away. The larger man tried to get up but she could see Brutus biting down harder. He started cursing and she pulled out a length of rope and tied his arms together above the elbows. She had noticed his lack of hand and prepared for it. While his hand was free, it couldn't do much with his arms tied together like that. "Deorsum et admodum, Brutus." Brutus let the man's neck go and sat by her feet.

"Now that is what I can do." She rolled him over with her foot and he tried to kick her but Brutus let out a warning barking growl. She pulled down the scarf covering her face. The man fell still, his eyes widened before he put on a charming smile.

"Well hello, little lady. I gots t' say yer dog packs quite the punch. He work out?" He winked at her and she shook her head in disgust.

"It's Merle isn't it?" She watched as he nodded. "Well, _Merle_, you pull any shit like that again and I will personally put an arrow through your eye with my bare hands and feed your useless corpse to my dog." He winced slightly.

"Hey, hey. Take it easy, little darlin'. I ain't gunna cause ya any harm. Now, I would never hurt a lady, well unless she really wants me to." He laughed and Bree looked at him with disgust. She hated men like him, the type who took what they wanted, the bullies.

"Use your charm on someone who gives a shit." She turned to look at Daryl who stared at her with almost a neutral expression. "And you. You are going to be in charge of your brother until it is decided if he can stay or not. We do not tolerate violence inside the walls." She pulled her arrow from the ground and put it in her quiver before pulling out her walkie.

"Dean, you copy?" She waited and the response was nearly immediate. Even with Ben still there, everyone jumped when she requested something. She was, after all, queen of the land.

"I copy, what do you need?"

"I need a truck and you, Charlie and Bruce. We've got some stragglers that need a ride to the gates." Bree turned to look at Daryl. "I suggest you pack up your things and let your group know there will be some people coming to pick them up soon." He looked extremely angry at that and she pointed to the guard tower.

"Sometimes when we think we are alone, someone is listening." She stared at him with an aloof and expressionless face. She owed him nothing and the only reason she decided to help was because the words running out of formula were mentioned. That meant they had a baby with them and Bree didn't want to have the infant's death on her already bloody hands.

"That sounds like sum weird Jesus shit, right there. Let's hope ya didn't tug yer jimmy while she was listenin'." Merle laughed loudly as Daryl walked away, his face turning red. Bree turned her gaze on the man lying in the dirt. She crouched down and brought his head up by clutching at the bite marks on his neck. He gritted his teeth and his eyes filled with hate. She pulled out her pocket knife and flicked the blade open. She pressed the sharp tip under his jaw and he swallowed nervously.

"You are on very thin ice, Merle. I am warning you now. You better change because if you don't I _will_ put that arrow through your eye. This goes for bullying anyone in the compound. If there is one thing I can't stand it's a bully. Do you know what a bully is, Merle?" She dug her finger right into the deepest bite mark and he groaned, his eyes closing tightly. "They are cowards. Now are you going to step up and be a man or are you going to sit there as you are, you useless piece of shit coward?" She loosened her grip on his neck and he took deep breaths of relief. She set his head on the ground and closed her knife before tucking it back in her pocket. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him upright. He looked at her but there wasn't anger or hatred in his blue eyes anymore but a very clear respect. She wanted to curse. She didn't want his respect. She wanted his fear, if he feared her, he would fear the punishment she would deliver if he stepped out of line.

"I'm sorry." He said the words quietly and she stared at him as she unwrapped the scarf from her neck. "Fer threatenin' ya and fer pullin' a gun on ya. Yer right it was cowardly. I jus' don't have a very good set of social skills. Its jus' been me an' Daryl fer a long time." Bree didn't reply and carefully wrapped the scarf around his neck. Keeping the scarf a bit tight to put pressure on the puncture wounds to stop the bleeding.

"Sometimes we all do things we are ashamed of. I know I have." She tied the scarf in place and used her knife to cut the excess fabric off.

"I ain't ashamed." His nostrils flared and Bree noticed the blood steadily dripping from his nose.

"It takes a pretty big man to apologize but an even bigger one to admit he is ashamed." She pulled a water bottle from her small pack and poured it on the cloth. She wrung it out and wiped at his bloody nose. It didn't look broken but Brutus wasn't a little dog and the force of the blow would have made his face hit the dirt pretty hard. "Keep it up and you will become a productive member of society." She could hear a truck approaching and she dabbed at his bloody nose again.

"I ain't a part of society. I'm a delinquent. Unable t' assimilate with society or sum bullshit." He pulled his head away. "Stop fussin' over me, little lady. I've had worse." She pulled her hand and the fabric from his face and stared at him.

"We are all delinquents. I've killed a people. Some bigger than you. This isn't the world we used to know. In this world everyone has a job. A place. We can't create what we had before, we just have to bend ourselves around the circumstances." She stood up and looped her left arm through his right and pulled him to his feet. He had nearly half a foot on her height and a hundred or so pounds but she pulled out her knife anyway. "And I don't fuss." She cut the rope around his arms and closed the blade before walking over and dumping the rest of her water bottle on the already dying fire. Brutus followed close to her and he looked around, as if waiting for someone to attack her.

"I never got yer name, little lady." His voice was even and almost pleased. As if he approved of her choice of cutting his binds of trusting him with that much.

"I didn't give it." In contrast to his voice, hers was colder and harder, it felt almost backwards to her. Hers should have been the friendlier voice and his should have been the cold one. "It's Bree." She gave it before he could ask again. She turned around and Merle looked at her as if sizing her up.

"My name is Bree." She turned her head to watch as the truck pulled up and the three guys got out. "Dean, Charlie, Bruce." She nodded at them and they nodded as well.

"What can we do to help?" Dean walked over and Bree shrugged, glancing over to Daryl who was dismantling the tent, then to Merle, who was rubbing his shoulder. The metal contraption on his arm preventing him from rubbing his left arm appropriately. He just rolled it a few times and cracked his neck.

"It sorted itself out. Sometimes it happens." She stared at them and they looked at her as if she were sick.

"Are you okay? You seem a little off." It was Charlie who spoke and Bree stared at him until he looked away as if uncomfortable with her piercing gaze.

"I'm fine. Just fine. Help him load up his meagre supplies and then we are going back in." She jerked her head at Daryl and the three guys walked over but as if they were uncertain of their task.

"I can handle my own damn supplies." Daryl's voice was angry and she let out a heavy sigh.

"Never mind then, boys. Just sit in the truck until we are ready to go." Her voice softened to the pitch she had used for the first twenty five years of her life and Charlie smiled at her with relief but her voice had softened. Not her demeanour and she just stared at him with no expression on her face. There was no soft smile to make him feel better about being bossed around, just a blank and aloof face. They all got in the truck and Bree looked over at Daryl who had all his supplies in hand. She walked over to the truck and got in the back. She leaned her back against the metal of the truck and Brutus sat beside her. A few moments later both Daryl and Merle got into the back with her. Merle looked a tad wary of Brutus and Brutus wasn't helping any as he put his head down slightly to show his raised hackles. His lips curled slightly and the larger man turned away. She put her arm around the dog and patted his side. He wined and licked at her face and she gave a small smile before closing her eyes.

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Merle, Merle, Merle. Merle may appear to be slightly AU at first but believe me, he is still Merle. Its explained later.


	13. Chapter 12

And this is my apology chapter. Sorry about the mix up guys.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

Enjoy!

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Daryl felt like he was hallucinating. Having his brother show up then having that woman show up with her terrifying dog was enough crazy for one day but here he was. Getting inside the walls. Some questions were answered but more were popping up. What kind of people were these? What were they going to do to them? What was going to happen between Merle and Rick? Slews of other questions bounced around his head and he looked at the small woman who had taken down Merle with such a cold and sharp demeanour. Her eyes were closed and her dog rested its head on her knees. His eyes ever watchful of his master.

"What did ya say t' yer dog t' git him t' let me go?" Merle had his arms crossed over his chest and Daryl looked at the woman who appeared to be sleeping.

"Deorsum et admodum. Down and heel. It's Latin." Her voice was nearly civil and Daryl frowned. He had heard them talking, well not really heard them, they were talking in low voices but after the conversation she had cut Merle free and Merle didn't appear to be holding any grudge against her like he usually would. Daryl noticed the black scarf tied around his neck but didn't feel like commenting on it.

"Why the hell would ya use a dead language rather than English?" Merle kept his eyes on the dog so Daryl was free to study his older brother. He was skinny and rough looking, more rough looking than he usually was. His eyes turned towards the woman, she was alright looking, not prettier than Maggie but alright. Her hair was brown but pulled back into a tidy braid.

"So no one else can tell him what to do and it makes him seem more intimidating. I was going to use German but I didn't know enough." She opened her eyes and Daryl looked over her head, not wanting to get caught looking at her.

"Why German? That's sum Nazi bullshit right there." Merle extended his legs out and Daryl shifted his so they wouldn't touch.

"Because no other language makes the word butterfly seem like a string of obscenities." At her words Daryl bit back laughter but Merle had no such issues and laughed loudly. Daryl glanced at the woman who once again had her eyes closed and her face remained neutral, despite Merle's roaring laughter.

"You are jus' one sweet Georgia peach, ain't ya? I haven't laughed like that fer a long time, little lady." Merle wiped at his eyes and Daryl rubbed his forehead, feeling the grime under his fingertips. He looked around and wondered where the gates were.

"You must not get out much then." She sat up and tugged on her left sleeve, pulling it down over her hand. Her dog licked at her arm and she scratched his head.

"What's the hound's name?" Daryl looked at her and she levelled her hazel gaze on him. He had heard her say it but he couldn't remember what it was.

"Brutus." At the name the dog's ears perked up and he looked up at her. She just tugged on his ear and he put his head back down. "Where is your group?" Her gaze was getting slightly unnerving but Daryl didn't let her see it bothered him.

"I dunno. A day's walk from the wall is my guess." He looked at his hands and she just gave a small noise of acknowledgement. There were a few minutes of silence. The truck hit a few bumps along the ground. There didn't appear to be any roads so they had to make do with the bumpy terrain.

"What are you two doing so far from home?" The question caught him off guard and he was instantly suspicious. She seemed to know an awful lot.

"How do ya know we are far from home, little lady?" It was Merle who spoke and Daryl turned to see the woman's reaction to the question but her face remained neutral and aloof.

"Your accents. Not exactly subtle. You're from the states. From the type of accent you are lower states, around Alabama but not quite Alabama, you aren't from Florida so I am guessing Georgia based off of your Georgia peach reference. You are awfully far from home and I just want to know why you travelled over two thousand miles to Canada." She looked between them both and Daryl looked at the dog wondering if he should tell her.

"The cold. I saw that it slowed the walkers down an' I figured Canada is cold. Then I found this article in a magazine about this woman who built this giant wall around her land an' I figured it was worth the risk. Can't survive much more of this movin' around. It gets t' a person." He looked at her and she seemed almost annoyed at his statement.

"Fair enough and you, tough guy? Why are you so far up north?" As quickly as the annoyed look was there, it was gone. Daryl was confused about her behaviour and her apparent lack of emotions. Merle shrugged in response to the question.

"Daryl, here is the only family I have, I know I've done wrong by him but I was wantin' t' try an' get the Dixons back together. He's not entirely willin' t' hang out with his older brotha though." Merle stared at him and Daryl glared back at him. The truck slowed and the woman stood up. When the truck came to a complete stop in front of a large metal door, she jumped out. Daryl looked at it with curiosity. Three separate sets of doors opened and he realized that there was no way to get in through there. The truck moved through the gates and the woman jumped back into the truck bed. Her dog waiting patiently for her to sit down once again. Daryl looked up at the razor wire then over to the second wall that was right beside them.

"Not as easy when you see it from here, is it?" The question was directed at him and Daryl looked at her.

"I could of gotten over." His voice sounded a tad petulant and he lifted his chin a bit, giving him a defiant look. She just gave a small smirk.

"You could have tried. That razor wire is electrified. Enough volts to knock a person out. The fall back down would have broken some bones or killed you." She blinked and Daryl knew that she had him with that one.

"What was her name?" The question slipped out and Daryl looked are the truck bed floor.

"To whom are you referring too?" Her voice was incredibly sarcastic and Daryl glowered at the metal floor.

"The rich bitch who built this place. What was her name?" Daryl glanced at her and she looked agitated this time and she hesitated for the merest of moments before answering.

"Dixie Lee Hooper. She designed and built it." Her hand fell to her dog's head where she tugged on his ears.

"Do ya know why?" Daryl tilted his head, judging her reaction. She seemed a bit more agitated and she stared at him with angry eyes.

"No. No one knows why. She just did. Are you done asking pointless questions?" She stood up at the truck slowed down again and Daryl shrugged, unconcerned about her level of comfort with his questions. She jumped out of the back of the truck and stopped at the driver side window for a few seconds before she moved to the metal gates to open them. Daryl watched the three sets of door pull open. The truck moved through the gates and the woman climbed into the back, tucking something back into her shirt. The truck left the well beaten path and turned into the ditch before driving along what appeared to be a field. Silence fell as the woman closed her eyes and it was a few minutes before the came to a stop on the top of a hill.

"Alright, you two. Out." She jumped out, her bow in hand and whistled for her dog. He jumped from the truck as well. Merle got out of the back and started to follow the woman down the hill. Daryl gave a small curse and picked his bags up and got out to follow them. The truck drove off and Daryl caught up to Merle.

"Little lady, I certainly hope ya don't aim t' put a bullet in our brains an' leave us out here for the scavengers." Merle walked as if he had just commented on the weather rather than her maybe killing them.

"If I wanted you dead, you would be dead, Merle." She looked back before jumping over a lip on the hill. Daryl followed suit and Merle came behind. He noticed that she had taken them to a house. A quad sat near the front of the house and she pulled a plastic credit card shaped thing from around her neck and swiped it on the door lock. It went green and she opened the door. "Welcome to my most humble abode." Her dog walked in and Daryl nodded to her as he passed.

"Put your bags in the kitchen and take off your boots." At her request Daryl dropped the bags and took off his boots. He picked the two bags up again. "Kitchen is to the left." Daryl nodded and turned the corner to left and placed his bags just out of the way. A short blonde man came out of the living room adjusting his shirt.

"Good, you are back, Bree. I am going to need you to remove that shirt you are wearing." He looked up and his voice faltered on the last word. Daryl felt slightly embarrassed and awkward after he heard that. "I wasn't aware you had brought company." Daryl didn't take the woman named Bree to be into older men but apparently she was. She didn't even look embarrassed, just annoyed and that took some severe confidence to have your lover tell you to take your shirt off in front of strangers.

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Poor Daryl, still a little uncomfortable in such situations.


	14. Chapter 13

Oh last chapter was funny. Poor Dr. Erwin.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

Enjoy!

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Bree stared at Dr. Erwin before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the bathroom. She pushed him in and followed before closing the door. She let out a sigh and rolled up her left sleeve. The doctor pulled out a syringe and inserted it into the crook of her elbow and drawing a syringe full of blood. He removed it and she rolled down her shirt sleeve, concealing her scars.

"Thank you, Bree. My last sample ran out. I hope you don't mind that I had someone bring my notes and some basic equipment out here. I find I can concentrate much easier without any distractions. If I am lucky, this is the last sample I will need to take. I also brought some chicken and fresh vegetables from the main house. Your health isn't going to get better with just canned food." He smiled at her and she opened the door. He left with the syringe and she shook her head with a wry smile at the accidental innuendo that the poor doctor had said. She followed and watched as he retreated to the spare room to study the K2 Cells and the Martyr proteins, trying to find the missing connection between her and Brutus and the cure.

"Do ya have a freaky midget fetish or summin?" Merle said it and Bree looked at him. He looked completely weird out, as if the thought of a younger woman having sex with an older shorter man was worse than the dead coming back to life.

"Dr. Erwin is my physician. I was gone for a long time and am now back. I have some abnormalities with my blood so he needed to get another sample to see if he can help." It wasn't a lie, in fact it was all the truth but the implied meaning was a lie. She didn't care, as long as they didn't find out about her ability to be a roamer chew toy.

"So what yer sayin' is that ya have a blood disease?" Merle looked confused and he looked her over, as if he could see if she was sick just by looking at her. It didn't help that she looked perfectly healthy. She shrugged.

"I have unusual white blood cells. Dr. Erwin isn't sure what it is. That's why he is here. Trying to find a cure." She walked into the kitchen and pulled some canned food out of the cupboards. "You are free to shower. Towels are in the linen closet directly across the hall to the bathroom and there should be spare tooth brushes, soap and shampoo there. I'll get you guys some clean clothes while yours are getting cleaned up." She grabbed the can opener and a pot.

"Don't mind if I do, little lady." It was Merle and she could hear his heavy footsteps heading towards the bathroom. She opened a few cans and poured some chicken broth into the pot. Brutus sat by the stove as if waiting for her to give him something to eat. She smiled at him and his tail thumped against the ground. She set the pot on the stove and set the burner to medium heat. She turned to the fridge and opened it. The chicken was on a platter and she grabbed it.

"Ya don't look sick." At the statement she turned to look at Daryl. He was leaning against the doorway between the kitchen and the foyer. His eyebrows were pulled down into a frown.

"We never do." Bree placed the platter on the island and started stripping the chicken bones of meat. "You can come in and sit. I'm just going to put on some soup." She went back to pulling the meat of the chicken bones until she had enough to put into the soup. Daryl sat at the table and looked around, as if he was expecting something to jump out at him. She pushed the deboned meat to one side of the platter and then pushed the platter off to one side. She turned to the fridge and pulled out two carrots, an onion and a few potatoes from the crisper. Once those were on the island she left the kitchen for the second spare bedroom. She pushed open the door and headed to the closet. Bree had made sure to keep one set of clothing for every body type and gender in each closet for this particular reason. She looked through the clothes and grabbed the set of clothing that she was sure was big enough for Merle's bulky frame. She also pulled out some clothes for Daryl. She walked back towards the kitchen and hung the clothes on the bathroom door handle. She could hear the shower going and entered the kitchen.

"These should fit you. They aren't exactly your style but do with them what you will." Bree handed the clothes to Daryl and went back to her task. She pulled out a cutting board and knife before she set about cutting the veggies. Brutus wined from his spot on the floor and she threw him a piece of chicken. The kitchen was silent except for the sound of her knife hitting the cutting board on each cut. After a few minutes she gathered up the chicken and veggies and put them into the now warm broth. It was only ten but supper needed to be made and the chicken soup would take most of the day.

"Why are we here an' not where that road led?" Daryl turned in his chair to look at her and Bree sighed as she put the chicken bones in the garbage

"Because the person at the other end of that road would rather shoot me than let you into the community. Not that he has much say but he has a temper and can be quite pushy when he wants to be." Her voice was tight as she talked about Ben. "He thinks he is lord and commander over this little world and he doesn't realize that there are people who would rather see him dead than to let him become that." She had to force herself to let go of the knife in her hand as she thought about the big burly man.

"I take it y'all don't get along too well?" He almost seemed amused and Bree let the knife fall into the sink with a clatter. She turned around and clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to take the tension from it. If there was one person in this broken world that made her want to break things it was Ben.

"Ben is an asshole. He's got a severe issue with authority." She opened the fridge trying to distract herself and keep her anger under control. There were several beer in the fridge and she pulled out two. "Want one?" Daryl nodded and she passed one over the island to him.

"An' how's it ya know that?" He watched her as she sat down at the table and opened her beer bottle.

"Because I'm authority." Bree took a long pull of the cold beer. "Its five o'clock somewhere." Daryl stared at her as if not believing a word she said.

"I'm kind of related to the Hooper family. They are considered the mayors of the community so I get authority over everyone in it, including Ben. Now he really doesn't take kindly to having to listen to a puny, idiotic, little girl." She took another swig of her beer. "Just me standing here is an affront to his sensibilities. I ran away ten months ago and he told everyone I was dead but I came back and proved him wrong. My every breath I take here is a reminder that he doesn't know everything, every breath I take just furthers his utter humiliation." She nodded and played with the neck of the beer bottle. Dancing her fingers up and down the cold glass.

"Sounds like y'all got a Shane on yer hands. Best someone put a bullet in his brain before he goes squirrely on y'all." Daryl took a drink from his bottle and Bree reached down to pat Brutus on the head. His brown eyes looked at her with absolute trust.

"Like I didn't know that. I don't know who Shane is but the bullet in the brain is what I am talking about." She rubbed her forehead and thought about everything that had happened. "Did you radio your group? Some of my boys are heading there to bring them some supplies and to help them get everything together before bringing them back." Daryl nodded slowly.

"They ran outta food, so they sounded excited at the thought of havin' someone bring them t' safety." He shrugged. "I jus' want 'em t' be safe for once. We've always been on the run from one thing or another. We've been runnin' for far too long." He looked at her and she made note that his eyes were a shade lighter than his brother's.

"I can relate. After ten months out on my own, it was time to come home." She gave a humourless chuckle. "Still can't sleep for more than four hours at a time. I have a soft bed and warm blankets and complete safety but I still get up after four hours." She watched as he nodded and she scratched Brutus's head and tugged gently on his ear. She took another drink of her beer and felt herself start to relax a bit.

"Conditionin'. It happened t' all of us. It was necessary t' stay alive. Ev'rything we've ever done was to stay alive." He shook his head and she could hear the bathroom door open. Bree leaned back in her chair.

"Clean clothes are hanging on the door handle, Merle." She took another drink of her beer and waited for his reply.

"That they are, little lady. I appreciate the hospitality." The sound of the bathroom door closing made her relax into her chair again. She set the nearly empty beer bottle on the table and got up to go and stir the soup. She turned it down to simmer and got more two more beer from the fridge.

"What did ya do t' him? He's practically docile." Daryl set his empty beer bottle on the table and Bree moved around the island and handed him a second one. Brutus waited for her by the chair and she sat down.

"I bit his ear." She watched as he nearly choked on his beer. Her mouth twitch upwards slightly and she finished off her beer.

"Seriously, what did ya do t' him?" Daryl set his beer bottle on the table and she stared at him, wondering if she should tell him.

"Asked him if he wanted to remain a useless piece of shit coward or if he wanted to be a man. I guess he has chosen to be a man." She picked up the two empty beer bottles and she could see the mild confusion on his face and she set the bottle in the recycling bin. "Some men just need to hear that they are the lowest of the low, that they are the scum of the earth and then they need to hear they have a choice to stay that way or to better who they are." She shrugged.

"There is no place in the world for people like Merle." The words were bitter and Bree frowned slightly, apparently the tangled mess of their lives was a lot worse than she had been led to believe.

"There is always a place in this world for people like Merle. They just need to learn to respect authority but there will _always_ be a place for them. There is a place in this world for everyone." She rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off the beginnings of a headache and looked at Brutus. "There is a place in this world for everyone, even people like me." She frowned and tried to figure the statement out.

"What are yah goin' on about?" Daryl looked at her and she frowned as she looked back at him, trying to hold onto the epiphany she just had.

"It means everyone has a place in this world, including your worst enemy. Yourself." She stared at the floor. "We all think we can't possibly have a place in this broken world but we will always have a place."

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Oh Bree. You dirty little liar! Kind of Related my ass!


	15. Chapter 14

Sorry about the lapse in uploading but it was CHRISTMASSSSSSSS! So sorry and here, have two extra chapters!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Daryl still didn't know what she was going on about. She seemed to be talking to herself rather than to him in particular. Merle walked into the kitchen, he was wearing a western shirt but it looked like he had cut the arms off of it. He was wearing a pair of dark wash blue jeans and socks.

"Smells good, little lady. An' look at that, ya even got beer. Any chance ya have an extra for ol' Merle?" He focused his entire attention on the small woman. Daryl had to wonder if it was just an act or if Merle had actually submitted to her authority. He certainly seemed to actually respect her, not a small feat.

"It's on the table. The unopened one is yours." She looked at him before hurrying from the kitchen and into disappearing into the living room. Her dog followed, as if not wishing to spend any more time in their company. Merle watched her but shrugged and sat at the table. He pushed the beer bottle towards Daryl, who stared at it.

"Do ya mind? I seem t' be a lil' shorthanded." Merle held up his right arm and the stump where his hand should be before laughing loudly. Daryl grabbed the bottle and twisted off the cap before handing it back to his big brother.

"Whats that all about, Merle? I've never seen ya give anyone the amount of attention and focus ya jus' gave her." Daryl polished off his second beer and called his limit. It was just ten thirty in the morning after all.

"Nun of yer business that's what." Merle took a drink of his beer, glaring at him like he had discovered his drug stash.

"Fine, Merle, ya keep yer little secret crush t' yerself. I won't tell 'em." Daryl smirked as Merle's face turned red with anger. He stood up suddenly but his face turned pale and he sat back down a bit shakily. "Ya alright there, Merle? Ya look like ya jus' saw the pigs find yer drug stash." It was a cutting jab but Merle did nothing but sit there, his eyes glazed over a bit.

"I won't have any of yer sass, Darlena." The words sounded weak and thin and they trailed off as Merle started to fall forward in his chair. Bree and the doctor were there to stop him from slamming his head against the table.

"Merle, I need you to tell me what you are feeling right now." The doctor pulled out a small flashlight and shined it in Merle's eyes.

"I'm fine. A Dixon is always fine. Stop yer fussin'." He tried to wave them off but almost passed out again. Daryl looked at the display with a tiny bit of concern as the small woman pushed Merle back into the chair.

"Is he bit? Did a walker manage to git 'im?" Daryl put his hand to his waist where he kept his knife. If anyone was going to kill Merle, it would be him.

"Just by Brutus. It's probably just exhaustion and malnutrition." Bree said it so confidently that Daryl had to think about it for a few seconds. He knew it was off but the way she said it made it sound incredibly believable. "I need you to take my radio, it's in my pack by the front door and radio Charlie. I need you to tell them to set up camp until I can get back to them." Daryl stood up slowly and walked towards the front door and picked up Bree's small pack and pulled out her walkie.

"Is there a Charlie there?" He let the button go and the radio came to life.

"Charlie here. What is it? We have gotten the group and are heading back to base."

"The lil' lady says y'all have t' set up camp and wait fer her t' call ya back." Daryl walked back to the kitchen with the walkie and watched with a bit of amusement as they tried to move Merle from the chair. Bree was having an easier time than the short doctor.

"Why would she- Never mind. We copy and will set up camp." At that the radio fell silent and Daryl tossed it on the table. He pushed the doctor out of the way and grabbed Merle's other arm.

"Where we takin' 'im?" He helped pull Merle to his feet and was surprised to feel how light Merle had become. His skin was warm to the touch and Daryl didn't exactly believe what Bree had told him.

"The spare bedroom." The doctor led the way as they maneuvered the large man through the hall and towards the bedroom. "Put him on the bed." That much part was easier said than done as he and Bree tried to put Merle bunk on the bed. Once on the bed the doctor checked his pulse and touched his forehead.

"Whats wrong with 'im? He's showin' signs of turnin'. I need t' know cause if he is turnin' it'll be me and me only who puts a bullet through his skull." He pointed his finger at Bree as if to deliver the message to her in particular and she just looked at him.

"Your brother is going to be fine, Daryl. He's just caught something." She walked out of the room and Daryl followed.

"I don't care. If he dies, ya tell me right away so I can put a bullet through his thick skull. He's hurt enough people as is." He followed her to the kitchen where she pulled out a bowl and a cloth before filling the bowl with water. Steam curled off the water.

"He's not going to die, Daryl. He's just sick." She put the cloth on her shoulder and picked up the bowl with both hands. Daryl blocked her when she tried to leave the kitchen.

"How do ya know that? How can ya know what's goin' on?" He watched as her hazel eyes turned a bit green in annoyance. It would have been interesting to watch if it hadn't been at that particular time.

"Because I know what he has. I can't tell you what it is but I can tell you I've had it and I survived. Your brother will too." She pushed past him and Daryl followed her down the hall again.

"Why can't ya tell me? Is it summin bad?" He stood just outside the room as she brought the hot water to the doctor. He took it and the cloth before waving her away. She closed the bedroom door and stared up at him with angry eyes.

"Why do you care? You have made it perfectly clear you really don't care about Merle, so why the act?" Although her words were angry, it was if she wasn't mad at him for not caring about his brother but mad at him for something else entirely.

"I don't care about 'im. I care about the safety of my group. First ya are talkin' about havin' a blood disease that no one knows what it is, then Merle gits sick and now yer tellin' me he's goin' through what you did. Sista, this dun't make any sense and I am getting' real tired of bein' lied too." He pointed at her. "I wanna know jus' what it is yer doin' here or I want out." Before she could answer the short doctor opened the door.

"I am going to need someone to watch him for any signs of improvement." He looked between Bree and Daryl and fell quiet. Daryl stared at Bree as her expression turned to that of concentration, she looked at the doctor then back at him, then back to the doctor. The motion was very deliberate and the doctor shook his head rapidly.

"I can't do that, Bree. I can't do that, we don't know for sure." The words were concerned and Bree stared at him hard before looking at Daryl.

"You tell him or I'll show him." With that she stepped into the bedroom and closed the door. Daryl looked at the small doctor who slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"I guess that leaves me no choice then. Briana can be very difficult at times. Follow me, son." The doctor walked past him and down the hall and Daryl realized he had been following a lot of people today. He pushed the thought away and caught up with the doctor who was walking into the living room.

"Can ya tell me whats goin' on or am I gunna be stuck followin' ya all day?" Daryl watched as the man opened a door that was off of the living room.

"Alright, son. You'll get your answers. Come on in." The short man stepped into the room and turned on the light. Daryl looked at the petri dishes and the papers strewn all over a table that was pushed against one wall. "I've been working with Briana since she got back four days ago. I was brought here, to this compound to find a cure but I wasn't having any luck. Then Briana came back after being gone for ten months." The doctor sat in the chair by the table heavily.

"She told me her name's Bree." Daryl leaned against the door jam, his arms crossed.

"It is now. Briana is her name but she prefers Bree now. Its habit, I apologize." The doctor looked at him and seemed to be struggling to say something. "She came back… _different_. Brought a few survivors with her but she didn't stick around to help them. She came to me and she looked scared. She will never admit to being scared and then she showed me _why_ she was scared." The doctor stopped and rubbed his face. Daryl wanted to shout at him to spit it out.

"Bree had been bitten by a roamer." At the words Daryl's blood ran cold and he stood up straight.

"What are ya sayin', doc? Ya left her alone with my brotha. She bought us here. Ya can't come back from a bite. She's _infected_!" Daryl started to reach for his knife and the doctor shook his head.

"She's immune, son." Those three words stopped Daryl in his tracks. His hand dropped from the knife and he felt like he should sit down. "She was bitten eight months ago on her left arm and quite a few times since but she had shown to be immune to the roamer virus."

"I don't understand. Ya can't be immune t' the virus. We all have it. We all turn when we kick the bucket." Daryl blinked in confusion. He had heard what the man had said but couldn't believe it.

"Bree won't. She's not just immune but she was cured. She's got abnormal white blood cells and a special protein that basically means she has a super immune system. No diseases, no viruses, no unwanted bacteria can survive in her body." Dr. Erwin stood up and shook his head slightly. "Bree's immunity came from her dog. His saliva contained the abnormal white blood cells and the proteins. When Brutus bit your brother, some saliva was transferred to his blood stream and he is now going through what Bree did so long ago. Your brother is gaining immunity to the roamer virus." The entire situation crashed down on Daryl and his brain kicked into overdrive.

"If Merle is becomin' immune, that means others can as well, right?" He looked at the doctor. What if this was the cure? What if they had finally found a ray of hope for the end of this dark world?

"I don't know. Merle has become an accidental test subject. I didn't want to start testing it out until I was sure there were no side-affects. You must understand we don't know that the K2 Cells or the Martyr proteins do to the body." The doctor reached out to pat his shoulder and Daryl sub-consciously pulled away from the contact. "It's a canine-to-human transfer, our genetic make-up is completely different. There could be complications. I didn't want to tell you to get your hopes up, son, but Bree believed you had the right to know. I still think it was a bad idea." Daryl bit his tongue and turned on his heel. He still didn't quite believe it and he headed back to the bedroom. He pushed the door open and watched as Bree laid the cloth across Merle's forehead.

"He told you?" Her voice was strained, as if she were waiting struggling with something. He walked over and grabbed her left wrist and yanked up the sleeve. She immediately tried to pull away but Daryl held her wrist tightly. White and pink scars covered her left arm and the teeth marks were distinct. She tore her wrist from his grasp and tugged down the sleeve quickly. She glared at him darkly.

"He was right. Ya were bitten. Yer _immune_." Daryl backed away from her and she turned back to Merle, dabbing the wet cloth around his face. Daryl watched how awkward the motions seemed. Like she wasn't used to doing things like that.

"I think you should have a shower. You stink." Her tone was even and neutral and Daryl knew when he was no longer wanted. He went to shut the door when Brutus pushed past him to go and put his head on Bree's leg. He watched as she tugged on the dog's ear and slowly closed the door. That certainly was a lot to take in.

* * *

Welp, now Daryl knows.


	16. Chapter 15

And here is Bree's reaction to all that.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Bree drug the warm cloth over Merle's face and tried to get rid of the ball of tension in her stomach. She hadn't wanted to tell anyone. She never wanted to let anyone find out but she knew the man would never let it go. She tugged on her left sleeve and felt her face glow red. The scars were a secret, a terrible secret that she never wanted anyone to see. The scars were a humiliation to have and Bree clenched her left hand tightly. The scars were the reason she hadn't returned to the main yard and her family. Her mother and two older brothers were there and as much as she loved them, she couldn't bring herself to show her face. She was different and she didn't want them to see just how different she was. She was startled by the sound of the door opening, her head jerked towards it and relaxed when she saw the doctor. He walked towards the bed and started taking Merle's temperature. He picked up Merle's wrist and checked his pulse.

"He's running a high fever and his pulse is a bit fast but nothing to be worried about." Dr. Erwin touched her shoulder gently. Bree flinched away from the contact but the doctor's hand remained. "You did the right thing. He had to know or he was going to find out on his own. It was best we told him." He looked down at her and Bree busied herself with placing the warm cloth on Merle's forehead.

"He saw my scars." Bree tried to sound like it didn't bother her but it did. It was humiliating to her. It showed that she hadn't been strong enough or quick enough to avoid them. "He saw them." Dr. Erwin made a sympathetic noise and shook his head.

"Oh, Briana. It's okay. Your scars show that you are a survivor. That no matter what the world threw at you, you fought back and pushed forward." He squeezed her shoulder and despite how comforting that the gesture felt she shook it off.

"No. They show that I wasn't strong enough, that I wasn't quick enough. That I couldn't save them all." Bree hunched in on herself and withdrew from the doctor. As if sensing her withdrawal from the situation he out of the room and closed the door. "They show that I am weak." The words hurt her ears to hear and she adjusted the covers over Merle. She didn't know why she had taken him on as a responsibility but she had and she disliked it. He was like an angry toddler at times but then a rather respectable gentleman at others. She sighed and pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. Brutus whined at her from the floor and she let her left hand drop. He licked it as if to tell her it was alright. How simple things were with him, she was upset and he wanted nothing but to make her feel better.

"It's alright, Brutus." She slowly uncurled and looked down at him. He was the one thing in this world that had ever seen her cry and had accepted her as she was. It didn't matter that he was a dog, he was her best friend, his unconditional love and trust has wriggled its way into her heart, the one place she had cut off from the outside world. Much like she had done with the concrete walls around the community. She slid off the chair to sit on the floor with her companion. He flopped onto her lap so she could scratch his stomach and she ignored how heavy he was, her hands scratched at his stomach and he flopped his head back with his tongue hanging out. She almost laughed at the silly grin he had on his face.

"You're a good boy, Brutus." She grabbed his paw and played with his toes. He wiggled around trying to lick her face. Merle muttered something and Bree sat up and looked over the edge of the bed. He was starting to thrash and she stood up. Brutus walked around her, unsure of the situation. Bree picked up the now cloth and went back to wiping his face. He stopped thrashing as bad but she could see his hands and legs twitch slightly as she muttered at him about being a big oaf. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Bree woke up with a start. She sat up and rubbed her face, unsure of what woke her up. It was just starting to get light out by the looks of the sky light in the ceiling. She figured she had been sleeping for about an hour. Merle had been tossing and turning for most of the night. His fever reaching a high point at around one in the morning. She reached over and touched his forehead, almost relieved to feel that the fever had broke. She grabbed a cloth and wiped his face clear of dried sweat.

"What did I tell ya about fussin' over me, little lady?" The words were spoken in a tired and rough tone and Bree pulled her hand back. Merle looked at her with almost confused eyes. "What am I doin' in a bed? Is it dark out already?" He went to sit up and Bree pressed against his shoulder, holding him against the mattress.

"Easy there, G.I. Joe. You've been out for nearly a day. You were sick." She grabbed the cup of water she had on the bedside table for if she had gotten thirsty and showed it to him. "Would you like some?" He scrunched up his face at the glass of water.

"I'd rather finish that beer." He pushed her hand away and sat up. "A Dixon never gits sick, little lady. Best ya remember it." He took the glass from her and she patted the bed and Brutus jumped up. Merle ignored the dog lying across his legs and glared at her.

"Dr. Erwin is going to be coming in to take a blood sample from you. When he is done you can try moving around but for now, stay in the bed." Bree left the room and walked towards the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled but she ignored it in favour of getting Dr. Erwin. The small man was already awake and cooking eggs.

"I take it our patient is awake?" He smiled when he caught sight of her and she gave a tired nod.

"Wanting to get up and move around. You'd better get your sample from him before he manages to get enough strength to throw Brutus off of him." She let out a tired sigh. "I'll take care of the eggs." He just nodded and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. Bree took his spot at the stove and picked up the spatula. He was making over easy and she saw that he had bread and butter out for toast. Once she made sure the eggs wouldn't burn she made her way over to the microwave that had beeped. The doctor had even brought bacon and she pulled the partially defrosted slab of bacon from the microwave and set about splitting the strips. She checked the eggs periodically and started to fry the bacon.

Brutus started barking and she could hear Merle cursing from the bedroom so she whistled, hoping to get the dog out from under Merle's large feet. Brutus came around the corner to the kitchen and she could hear Dr. Erwin trying to calm the large man down but the way that Merle was cursing she had to think he wasn't buying whatever Dr. Erwin was telling him. She flipped the eggs carefully, trying not to break the yolks as she did so. She wasn't the greatest cook but she managed to flip the eggs without breaking them. She turned to the bacon and flipped it as well before it could burn. The toaster popped and Bree sighed and she moved over to butter it.

"Can't a guy git any sleep around here? What the hell is with all y'all makin' noise this early in the mornin'!" It sounded like Daryl was awake and Bree rubbed her temples as Merle started bellowing at the doctor to let him out of the room. Brutus started barking aggressively and Bree tried to ignore the racket, wanting the peace and quiet she had just two days ago. She pulled four plates out of the cupboard along with one bowl. She grabbed a can of beef stew for Brutus who was still barking in the hallway and her irritation level rose up to being pissed.

"Shut your fucking mouths!" The words were loud and angry and Bree was surprised she could be that loud. Silence filled the house and she sighed in relief. "Breakfast is ready. Either you get in here and eat or Brutus gets your share." She dished up the four plates and set them on the table before opening Brutus's can and dumping the contents of the can into the bowl and setting it on the floor. Brutus looked at her from around the corner of the door frame and Bree crouched down. He came over, his belly nearly touching the floor, afraid she was still angry with him. Bree tugged on his ear and pushed the bowl towards his face.

"Eat up, you noisy brute." She patted his head and he started eating noisily. Pushing the bowl across the floor as he did so.

"Sorry about the noise, little lady. Never let anyone git in the way of a man an' his food." Merle walked into the kitchen. He looked a bit wobbly and she pointed at a chair.

"Eat then." She pulled out four forks and brought one over to him. He took it without a word and started eating like he hadn't seen food in months. Bree ignored it. She remembered doing just that. If you had a chance at a meal on the outside, you ate until your stomach hurt and continued to eat until the food was gone because you didn't know when the next time such a meal would come along. She set the forks on the table and sat at the far end of the large table to eat. Dr. Erwin and Daryl walked into the kitchen and sat down. The kitchen was silent, only the sounds of forks hitting the plates and the sounds of Brutus moving his bowl around on the floor could be heard. Bree picked at her food, feeling uncomfortable eating around others.

"You gunna pick at it or eat it?" The question was addressed to her and she slid the plate to Merle who finished it off in a few bites. "Thanks, little lady. I can't remember the last time I had bacon. Mighty fine breakfast." He let out a loud burp and she stood up abruptly as he leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. Daryl and the Dr. Erwin looked at her, their forks halfway to their mouths.

"I have to go." She hurried from the kitchen, grabbing her walkie from the table as she did so. Brutus followed her quickly as she slipped on her shoes and practically ran out the front door. "Charlie, you there?" She walked towards the west wall and the radio crackled.

"Charlie is sleeping, it's Bruce." Bree took several deep breaths to calm her rather panicky behaviour.

"Wake him up. You guys can start heading back. I just had an issue with one of the stragglers getting sick and I know we are going to have one hell of a time with Ben." She stopped walking and sat down on the cold earth. "I-I don't even know if I want to face anyone just yet." It was a hard admission to make and she didn't like doing it but she needed to talk to someone.

"Ben can't say anything, Briana. He's fallen out of grace. After… after he told us you had died we all kind of fell apart." Bruce paused, his faint Newfoundland accent was comforting and Bree pressed the walkie to her forehead. "We needed you, Briana. We needed hope and he took that away. Now you're back and you won't believe how excited everyone is that you are here. We needed you bad and you came back. There is nothing to face, just yourself." Bree gritted her teeth and didn't know how to respond. She was trying extremely hard not to fall apart. Her carefully constructed façade was crumbling and she needed the protection to keep from drowning in her own failures.

"You are the reason many of us are still alive, Briana. When you left Ben refused to let us help anyone outside of the walls. Refused to let us do anything for those who came begging at the gates. We missed you every single day you were gone but Ben… Ben seemed to enjoy the fact you were gone." The words were chilling and Bree felt a rather large knot form in her stomach. "But you are back now and he has to fall into line or leave. You've earned your place, Briana. Just remember that." Bree was still trying to figure out how to respond when she found herself completely withdrawing from the situation, almost like she was doing it as a defense mechanism.

"Just make sure you get them here safe and sound." She turned off the walkie and closed her eyes. The sun peeked over the horizon and its bright rays touched her back. The warmth of the rays felt nice and she wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her cheek on them. Her eyes closed and she just listened to the world around her. She wanted peace, she wanted freedom and she knew this would be as close as she would get.

* * *

Bree is very complex. However once you understand what is going on inside her head she is very simple to understand.


	17. Chapter 16

Here's chapter 16! The group is here!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Daryl watched her leave with a bit of confusion. Dr. Erwin continued eating and when Merle went to stand up the short doctor stopped him.

"She has to work some things out alone. She needs time to gather strength and to balance herself out." The doctor finished his plate and stacked it onto the two empty plates in front of Merle. Daryl pushed his empty plate towards him as well.

"That sounds like a load'uv bullshit t' me." Merle's face was tight with annoyance and Daryl clenched his fist, wanting to slam it into his brother's face.

"Call it what you will but Bree needs it. She was on her own out there for ten months. She was afraid and she didn't have anyone. She learned that if you get attached to people, you would get hurt." The doctor stood up and took the dishes to the sink. "Bree spent the last ten months rescuing survivors. While most of the survivors formed a bond with her, she wouldn't be able to tell you their names. She has completely withdrawn from any form of emotional attachments and relationships. She even dislikes physical contact, although that could be something else entirely." Despite how vague the statement was Daryl knew exactly what he meant by it and from the look on Merle's face, he did too.

"The world is cruel to people like Bree. She's not herself, there are parts of her that are missing. Lost outside of the walls. This world knows just how to break you down." The shorter man walked around the island and Daryl gritted his teeth. Silence filled the kitchen and it made him feel uncomfortable.

"She's strong. Strong enough t' look me in the eyes an' t' tell me t' stop bein' a coward an' t' be a man. It ain't no small feat. If she's strong enough t' do that. She's strong enough t' do jus' about anythin'." Merle leaned back in his chair and Daryl felt angry at that. Angry that she had done something he hadn't been able to do. She had stood up to his brother and walked away with his respect.

"Strong enough t' git chewed up by walkers too." He watched Merle carefully and the doctor gave him a venomous look.

"What's that s'pposed t' mean, Daryl? You gunna care t' repeat it?" Merle leaned forward on the table and his voice told Daryl he better not repeat it to save his life.

"It means, _big brotha_, that yer little girlfriend has been chewed on by walkers. Her left arm's covered in bite marks. Don't believe me? Ask her yerself." Daryl leaned back in his chair and Merle's face twisted in anger. "Then, when she denies it t' hell an' back, pin her down and push her sleeve up. When that is done, put her down like a dog." Daryl almost regretted the words but they had been said and couldn't be taken back. Merle gave him a warning look.

"You watch yer mouth, Daryl, or I might jus' have t' break a few of yer teeth. She's be'n kind enough t' let us stay in her house. Don't throw that back in her face." The words were reprimanding and Daryl hated the flush of embarrassment he got from the words. The feeling of shame that filled him.

"It's true, Merle. I have been bitten by a roamer or as you call them, walkers." Her voice was soft and almost shaky and Daryl's feeling of shame grew stronger and he wanted the earth to swallow him up. He glanced up to see that Merle was confused by her statement. "I was going to tell you this morning after Dr. Erwin studied your blood but I guess I can do it now." Daryl watched as she pulled she pushed her left sleeve out of the way to show Merle the scars. Daryl watched as his brother grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. Her eyes went wide and he could see the stark terror painted in her eyes. As tough as she acted she was still scared of how people reacted when faced with her secrets. Dr. Erwin shifted his weight between his two legs, looking anxious.

"Awe hell. Sum of these have got t' be months old. What ya so scared of, little lady? Scared that I'd take my knife and put it through yer skull cause ya got yerself a few scars?" Merle let her arm go and pulled up his shirt. "See this one here? Got it in a prison brawl six years ago." He lifted his chin to show her another one. He pointed behind his ear.

"Grazed by a bullet nearly a year ago. Scars are scars, little lady, no need t' stand there quiverin' like a child waitin' fer a beatin'. Ol' Merle understands but I don't understand why ya ain't turned t' bullet bait." He tugged down the sleeve of her shirt and Daryl wanted to know who the man sitting across from him was.

"She's immune to the virus and after checking your blood, you are immune now too. The assimilation of the K2 Cells and the Martyr proteins was a success." Dr. Erwin looked like he couldn't contain his excitement at the prospect.

"Y'all drugged me?" Merle looked a bit upset about that but the doctor held out his hands and shook his head.

"No, but as Bree's immunity came from her canine companion, yours did as well. We didn't drug you, her dog bit you." At the words Merle touched the back of his neck to where the puncture wounds were bandaged.

"Her dog, huh? Do ya jus' sick 'im on people y'all want t' be immune?" Merle seemed completely okay with it and Daryl stood up to leave. "Sit down, Daryl. Ya owe the little lady a mighty big apology." Daryl gritted his teeth and the tension in the kitchen rose quickly.

"I'm sorry if I caused ya any offense, darlin'. I jus' said those things t' rile up my brotha." He looked at her plain face and she stared back at him and Daryl could see just how lost she was. Stuck in a place where no one would ever accept her if they found out about her time outside of the walls. She must have felt like he did in the group at times. Unsure about their place but knowing it's there, unwilling to step into it completely for the fear of what just might happen if they did. A walkie crackled and the pale faced woman looked down at it.

"We are at the first gate with the group. Meet us at the second." She pressed the button down.

"Copy that." What colour she did have in her face drained completely and Daryl thought she was going to pass out.

"Briana." Dr. Erwin's voice was sharp and she looked at him. "Can you talk to me for a second." He walked over and grabbed her arm and pulled her towards his makeshift office.

"Is she alright?" Merle didn't sound or look concerned so Daryl was once again confused about his behaviour.

"It's probably the thought of havin' t' deal with Ben. They apparently don't git along very well. He's like Shane." He watched his brother carefully and the older man smirked.

"Oh, so he's bangin' the sheriff's wife?" He roared with laughter and slapped his hand on the table. "Merle's still got his wit. Don't ya ferget it!" Daryl cracked a smile. He had to admit it was kind of funny. Merle was still chuckling over his joke and Daryl noticed that Bree and Dr. Erwin had finished their little talk.

"We are leaving for the second gate. If you guys want to come you can." Bree's demeanour was that over someone completely unsure of themselves, as if she had all her confidence sucked out of her.

"You alright, little lady. Ya are lookin' a little weak." Merle looked over at her and Daryl knew exactly what he meant by the comment. Bree turned her head, her eyes angry as she looked over at him from picking up her bow and quiver.

"Say that again and I'll show you how weak I am." Her voice was tight and Merle held up his hand.

"My mistake, little lady. Yer lookin' jus' fine." His brother smiled and Daryl scowled, Merle had never smiled at him unless he had been picking a fight with him, calling him Darlena. He shook his head and stood up. He wanted to see the group again. See how they were and to see how they had managed without him for those few nights. He resisted the urge to pick up his packs as he walked by but he did pick up his crossbow. He didn't want to go anywhere without it. Bree led the way out of the house and Daryl followed. The sun was just up and he turned towards the sound of an engine starting. There was a second quad with the one he had saw yesterday.

"I have some more research to do. You guys go on ahead." The doctor shut the door and Daryl scowled as Merle jumped on the second quad. There was no way he was going to ride with him so he walked towards Bree. She said nothing as he got on. She shifted it into gear and accelerated. Brutus chased after them. The ground was a little less rough than the first ride he had out onto the field. He watched the scenery fly by as Bree increased her speed. Strands of her hair pulled free from her braid and trailed behind her. Daryl could hear Merle gaining on them, he scowled, it was if everything was a competition with Merle. To his surprise Merle maintained speed and drove right next to them. He also noticed Merle had his metal contraption on his arm again. Bree slowed down as they came to the road and she drove up the ditch and stopped on the road. From behind them Daryl could hear the gates opening and then the rumble of a truck as it pulled through. He looked over his shoulder and watched a guy get into the truck, they honked the horn. At the sound Bree accelerated the quad and they practically flew down the road.

Daryl liked the feeling of his clean hair being rustled by the almost chilly breeze. It had felt nice to have a hot shower and to get clean. It had felt even nicer to put on clean clothes and sleep in a real bed. He hadn't slept the entire night just four hours but each one of them were great. He could see a chain link fence compound with several large buildings coming up and Bree slowed down again. Merle, who was keeping pace behind them, slowed down as well. She drove through the compound and Daryl realized it was probably their mechanics garage. He could hear the sound of a pneumatic driver as someone worked on tires. Then Daryl could see what Bree had called the main house. Although the word house seemed to be a bit of an understatement. It was more like a mansion. It was large and had a tower on one corner. Daryl felt impressed as he looked around and could see rows of houses. Granted they all had the same shape and seemed to have three houses per building, the colouring scheme was different for each one. They entered the yard and Bree pulled the quad off to one side and parked it. He got off and Merle parked beside the now quiet quad. Daryl walked away from the two and towards the large black truck. Three men got out of the cab and walked around to the back. Daryl followed and stood behind the truck as they opened the back door.

"Well ain't y'all a sight fer sore eyes." Daryl smirked at his little group and he watched as one of the three men pulled out a small ladder from under the truck. "Watch yer step now. Hate t' git ya here only t' have ya break yer necks on the way out'uv the truck." Rick was the first one out and he had Daryl in a hug before he could even blink. He pounded on his back.

"You did it, Daryl. You got us in the walls." Rick let him go and Daryl shook his head, shifting his crossbow on his shoulder. He watched as Axel got out and reached up to help Michonne out. The black woman ignored the helping hands and jumped out of the truck.

"Wasn't me. Was Miss Bree. She brought me inside then sent her boys t' collect ya." He kicked at the ground and Rick gripped his shoulder.

"You just can't take praise can you?" The hand dropped and Daryl chuckled. He felt happy. They were safe, finally.

"I don't need it. I know I'm awesome. No need fer ev'ryone else t' admit it. It'll make my ego too big." He walked forward to help Beth out of the truck as she carried Judith. He also reached up to help Carol.

"We all know your ego is huge, Daryl. That's why we love you." Carol gave him a sweet smile and Daryl fought back the redness he knew would cover his face.

"Didn't miss you, Carol. Hop back in there an' let 'em take ya back." He smirked at her and she just shook her head with a wry smile. The rest of them got out of the truck and the ladder was put back and the doors were closed.

"What the fuck is this?" The voice was loud, booming really and Daryl frowned, looking around the truck. A burly black haired man was marching over and Bree stepped in front of him.

"None of your concern." Her voice was cold and Daryl knew exactly who the man was.

"Shit. That mus' be Ben." Daryl almost felt sorry for the small statured woman who appeared to be taking on a giant.

* * *

There you have it!


	18. Chapter 17

Ooooooh this one is a gooder!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Bree looked up at Ben with a cold expression. He jabbed his finger in her face, his nostrils flaring and his face twisted with anger.

"I said nothing when you brought those nineteen strangers here because everyone was glad you were home but this is the last straw. These people are not going to stay here. They are going to leave. Now." He tried to walk past her and she stepped in his way.

"You are forgetting your place, Ben. What I say goes." She glared up at him and he practically snarled at her.

"I am getting real tired of your attitude, Briana." He tried to step around her but she pulled her knife out and held the tip to his stomach. He immediately froze and looked down at her, completely furious.

"And I'm getting real tired of yours, _Benjamin_." She stared up at him with all the hatred she felt for the man. "Take another step and I will gut you like an animal. This does not concern you." Her voice was low and even. She was surprised at how calm she was. The man terrified her as much as he made her angry. He gave a cold chuckle.

"You really going to try? I could have that knife slashing through your throat before you could even move." He glared down at her and Bree felt her lip curl up. She could hear Brutus growling from where she had told him to stay. Even he knew this was going to end in blood shed.

"You already had a chance to kill me but when it came down to it, you were too busy gloating to actually do the job." She pressed the knife closer to his abdomen and she could feel his muscles reflexively move away. "You had me on that hill top. You could have pulled the trigger and thrown me into the water, no one would have known but you hesitated and I knew that you were gloating. I knew you were telling yourself that you had done a good job. You had an opportunity but I snatched it from you and I ran." She stared straight ahead and she knew he was too.

"You can't prove it. It's my word against yours and whose going to believe someone whose been hiding the fact she was bitten by a roamer?" At the words her grip tightened on the knife and she pressed it harder against his skin. "Thought I didn't know? I went through Dr. Erwin's notes after he went to shack up with you. He had written all about your bite. When are you going to turn? When you are holding your little nephew? When you are hugging your dear sweet mother? Believe me, when you do turn I will enjoy putting a bullet in your brain. Ten months late but the satisfaction will still be the same." Bree gritted her teeth and twisted the knife a bit. Feeling a bit of satisfaction of hearing his breath hitch.

"I didn't know you could read. Put a bullet in my brain but you will still turn into a roamer because you are too much of a fucking coward to put one in your own." She knew immediately that she had hit a sore spot with the man. Where Merle had accepted the fact he had acted cowardly, Ben refused to acknowledge that he was one.

"You little bitch." He grabbed her arm but she had already jabbed her knife into his stomach and pulled it to the side, his hot blood flowing over her hand. He twisted her arm painfully before wrapping his other hand around her neck. "I am going to enjoy making you stop breathing." Bree kicked at him, landing several harsh blows which made him loosen his grip around her neck. She twisted and slammed her fist into his stomach, right where she had cut him. He cursed loudly and picked her up before slamming her into the ground. The air left her lungs in a giant whoosh and the pain was instant from the back of her head down her entire back from where she had hit the gravel. Ben's heavy weight threatened to crush her ribs as he reached over and picked up her knife. He sliced her side with it and the pain took a second to register because the blade was sharp. He brought it up to her neck and she was too stunned to do much of anything. She looked up and saw the booted foot right before it connected with Ben's face. The force was enough to knock him off her. She blinked, her vision swimming from the blow to the back of her head. She caught sight of Merle pulling out his knife and she let loose a bunch of painful coughs before curling up holding onto her cut side.

"I ain't done with ya yet, ya piece of shit." Although her ears were ringing, she heard the statement but it was if it were from far away. Large hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her to sitting. She wobbled, unable to hold herself up. She could feel blood pounding at a spot on the back of her head and she went to touch the area. "Don't do that. Where else did he tag ya?" Bree blinked and touched her forehead with a frown. The ringing in her head wouldn't stop.

"Focus on me, little lady." There were two Merle's swimming in her vision and she closed her eyes taking several deep breaths. She slowly opened her eyes.

"That was… painful." Her vision slowly stopped spinning and Merle was frowning at her, his hands on her shoulders.

"I thought ya had 'im. That was a nasty move he did. Yer small enough t' pick up an' he used it t' his advantage. Cheater's move." Merle's face looked like a thunder cloud and Bree felt a bit nauseous. "He's lucky I didn't gut him."

"You don't have to worry. I already did." She felt her head wobble around a bit but it didn't stop the slow smile that crawled across her face. Merle smirked at her.

"Ya did git 'im?" He almost looked proud when she nodded. "Good girl, I bet he won't be fergettin' this lesson fer a long time. Let's git ya up." He helped her to her feet and Bree winced as her side moved.

"He tried to pay me back." She looked down at the two inch gash on her side that was bleeding freely. Merle started towards the house and Bree shook her head and pointed at the Medical building. "They will be able to do more for me than the main house will." Merle just grunted and practically carried her to the building. Bree felt grateful. She didn't feel like she would be able to walk upright. He pushed the door open and she looked around.

"Set me on that there." She pointed to an empty cot and Merle brought her over and sat her down.

"Ya want me t' kill 'im? I could do that fer ya." He grasped her shoulder as she tipped backwards. She shook her head slowly, not wanting to hurt her brain any more than she already had.

"I think he needs to be kicked out. Well patched up then kicked out." Bree watched as a woman in scrubs came over. She frowned, she knew she should have remembered her name.

"Bree, what have you done? Sir, I am going to need you to move." The woman had kind blue eyes and her greying auburn hair flashed in the fluorescent lighting.

"I'm stayin' right here. I ain't movin'." Merle refused to budge and the woman gave him a sharp glare before pushing him out of the way. Bree frowned at her. She _knew_ this woman but her head was still a bit scrambled.

"Susan?" At the name the warm blue eyes looked at her with kindness. "I hit my head so badly, I nearly forgot who you were." Susan smiled at her and shined a light in her eyes and felt the back of her head. Bree winced at the sharp pain the quick examination caused.

"She didn't hit her head. That prick, Ben, body slammed her before tryin' t' cut her up like a chris'mas ham." Merle stood off to one side, as if he didn't know what he had to do but appearing like he didn't want to just leave her there.

"True but I did stick him first. Not saying I deserved it but fairs fair. I cut him up and he returned the favour." She could feel her head clearing and her thoughts were no longer scattered and the ringing had all but stopped. "I'm going to need you to stitch me up, Susan." She lifted her bloody shirt to show the gash. Susan inhaled a bit but nodded.

"I think I can do that, for old time's sake." The woman left to grab the right equipment and Merle looked at her.

"Who's that bitch?" He crossed his arms and Bree gave him a look that she hoped conveyed that if he said anything like that again she would kick his ass.

"That was Susan. She was one of the first people I found when I was gone." She moved her right arm with a wince. She hoped Ben hadn't caused any fractures or tears.

"I still think we should kill 'im. Jus' take 'im out back and shoot 'im in the back of the head." Merle pulled over an empty chair and sat down. Bree shook her head and Susan returned.

"He's got family, so I can't outright kill him unless we shoot them too." She winced as Susan dabbed at the wound with antiseptic.

"That can be arranged, little lady." Merle gave her a looked that said he meant it, she shook her head once again and he looked like she had taken away all his toys.

"He can be roamer food." She closed her eyes tight as Susan started stitching up the wound. The needle going through her skin wasn't the greatest feeling.

"How are ya so sure he won't come back t' finish the job? Stop wincin', are ya a wimpy little girl?" He gave her a stern look and she flipped him the bird before wincing as Susan started a new stitch.

"This is the second time he's tried and how about you come over here and I can stab you. Then we can see who's the little girl." Bree tried to hold her face still as Susan started on the fourth stitch.

"Yer tryin' t' tell me that he's tried this before an' ya still ain't willin' t' let me kill 'im? Are ya on drugs?" Merle looked at her like she was insane and she shrugged, inhaling against the feeling of the stitching tugging through her skin.

"I should be. This hurts." She looked down as Susan finished the last stitch. She counted thirteen and the older woman wiped away the blood before applying some salve and a bandage.

"Good as new." She helped Bree stand up and Bree patted her shoulder.

"Thanks." She held the bandage and started walking towards the door when Dean, Charlie, Bruce and Daryl came in carrying Ben. His face was nearly translucent and Bree knew he had bled out. She made her way over to Charlie and took his gun before he could stop her. She flicked off the safety, pulled the rack back to chamber a round then aimed it at Ben's head before pulling the trigger. She flicked the safety back on and passed the gun back to the stunned kid. His face looked green and she wondered if he was going to throw up. "There you are, Merle. Problem solved." She could hear the older man's chuckle as she leaned against the wall to pull the door open. She was still a bit dizzy but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She stepped out into the sunlight and saw a person she had missed dearly from the ten months she was gone. Tears pricked at her eyes but she held them back as she walked forward. The taller woman practically ran over, she grasped her face gently and kissed her all over it.

"My baby girl. My darling baby girl. I am so happy you are back. I missed you so much." Her mother pulled her into a tight embrace and Bree closed her eyes. Pretending it was a year ago. When she would hug her mother back and tell her she loved her more than anything. She closed her eyes tightly and wished it with her entire heart and soul but the pain in her side and the slight throbbing of her head kept reminding her she was still in the present. She pulled back from the hug and her mother was crying freely and she smoothed the back of her hand down Bree's cheek.

"Where are Andrew and Howard? I'd like to say hi." Bree shifted her weight so that it wouldn't pull on her stitches so much and she watched as her mother's face fell. Her heart slammed into the front of her chest. "Mom, where are they? Where are my brothers?" Bree could see the answer written all over her mother's face but she didn't want to believe it. She shook her head.

"No, where are they, mom? No, I know they are here." Bree backed away from her mother's reaching hands. "No. _No_." She shook her head and felt the walls she built around herself to keep her emotions in check, crack. Her mom clutched at the front of her worn western shirt, her face twisted with pure and raw sadness. Bree's eyes misted and she took another step backwards.

"I'm so sorry, Briana, they are gone. They spent every day they could looking for you. Ben told us you were dead but they refused to believe it. They would go out there week after week and one day they just never came back." Her mother paused and wiped at her eyes. "Then we saw a roamer close to the walls and we discovered it was Anthony. We never found Howard, baby girl, I am so sorry." Her mother reached for her but Bree stiffened.

"No. _No_." She bolted towards the large house where she used to live and pushed open the large door. Breathing heavily she bolted up the stairs. "Anthony! Howard!" Her voice echoed through the silent house and her heartbeat in her ears. She pushed open the door to Howard's room and it was empty of both him and his things.

"No! Anthony!" Tears blurred her vision from the utter heartbreak she was feeling as she bolted from the room. Her brothers had been her absolute best friends. They had teased her as older brothers should but they also taught her how to shoot a bow and a gun. They showed her how to build a fire and how to skin a rabbit. They taught her everything she knew and she was their shadow. Their annoying little sister that provided just enough entertainment that they kept her around. They had hung the moon and the stars in her eyes and they doted on her more than anyone else. She pushed to door open to Anthony's room only to see it had been turned into a nursery. She collapsed on the floor taking large shuddering breaths. It felt like her entire world had collapsed inwards. Her brothers were dead and it was her fault.

"Gamma?" The childish voice made her lift her head and she looked at the toddler standing in the crib. He gave her a toothless grin. "Anny Nana." He reached for her and Bree somehow managed to force herself to stand and to walk over to Anthony's son. He reached for her with sticky fingers and she picked him up.

"Anny Nana, I miss you." He patted at her face with his little hands before leaning in and kissing her cheek. Bree couldn't hold the tears back and they fell freely. "Anny Nana sad." He sounded upset and she wiped at the tears.

"No, Arty. Aunty Briana is just happy to see you." She couldn't believe how big he had gotten. He was a little over two years old and she held him close. "What are you doing up, hmmm? You should be napping."

"Anny Nana is silly. It light out." He touched her hair and gave her a sweet smile. The one she returned felt broken but the little boy didn't notice. Bree looked around and noticed the shelf of photo albums. She walked over and pulled down two and sat down on the floor before opening them.

"Look at this, Arty. It's your daddy." Her voice cracked on the word and she touched the picture of Anthony.

"Daddy is pretty. Awww puppy." Arty pointed at the door and Bree wiped her eyes before looking over. Brutus whined and came over to lick her face. She tugged on his ear with her free hand and pointed to another picture.

"Who's this?" She looked at the picture of her two brothers and gave a sad smile.

"Unca Howie an daddy. Howie looks like daddy." Arty pointed at another picture. "Gamma." He pushed the photo album away and grabbed the other one she had brought down. She opened it for him and he pointed at the pictures.

"Anny Nana." His voice was sweet and Bree wiped at her eyes again as Brutus put his head on her leg. The album was pictures of her. "Daddy, Unca Howie miss you lots." He turned the page and Bree felt her heart clench in her chest.

"And I miss them too, Arty."

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Ohhhhhhhhh damn!


	19. Chapter 18

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I need to be more punctual about uploading but I am so busy! We are moving apartments and busy cleaning and its like RRRRRAAAAHHHHHHGGGG!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Daryl looked at the dead man on the floor before exiting the building after Bree. He watched as she walked over to a silver haired woman who embraced her. He ignored the exchange and headed back to his group. Rick was busy staring at the mansion as was everyone else.

"Don't you think that is a bit of over kill?" Glenn glanced over at him and Daryl shrugged.

"When ya have money, why not spend it on summin big?" He gestured around. "Ev'rythin' here is big. Why not add a mansion?" He glanced at the group and was glad to see that, while they were dirty, they seemed no worse for wear.

"Was that Merle?" It was Rick who asked and Daryl nodded slowly, looking around the group. Not one of them took the news well. There were some cursing and mutterings about killing him and Daryl ignored it.

"Yup. Followed us up here, tryin' t' git me t' join 'im. Like ol' times. I told 'im t' shuv it. He ain't my family, not anymore." Daryl scrunched his nose for a second before shrugging. "I don't think he will be causin' any troubles. He's followin' that Bree lady I was tellin' y'all about. She's related t' the head honcho so what she says goes. If he tries anythin' she'll kick 'im out. Already threatened 'im about it." The group didn't seem ready to accept his presence and Daryl let out a sigh.

"He's not gunna be around us. I'll ask the head honcho if they ain't mind keepin' us separate from 'im." At that Rick clapped him on the shoulder.

"Sounds like a plan." The other man walked towards the mansion and Daryl looked towards where he was seen Bree last but she was gone. The silver haired lady was walking over to them and Daryl nodded to her when she got close enough.

"Ma'am." He said it out of respect but she ignored him and wiped at her eyes discreetly. Daryl wondered what she was crying about.

"Welcome to our community. I apologize for the tense welcoming you had but Ben never knew when to shut his mouth. My name is Eleanor and I am just letting you know that there is going to be a community supper celebrating, my daughter, Briana's arrival back to the community. Once you are cleaned up, feel free to join us in the main house." The woman pointed to the medical building. "You are to go there and get checked over for illnesses and to get some clean clothes. From there, someone will direct you to the showers where you can wash up. Welcome to the community. We are glad to have you." Daryl started towards the Medical building and everyone fell into step behind him. He opened the door and noticed that they had taken Ben away. A greying haired woman wearing scrubs smiled at them.

"Hi, my name is Susan and I will be giving you your examinations after I finish with his." She pointed to Merle who was sitting on a cot looking pissed to all hell.

"I'm perfectly fine, woman. Leave me be." He glared at the group and Daryl could feel the tension and anger rising. It wouldn't do them any good to have an altercation with his brother. The nurse walked over to Merle and looked down at him.

"If you say you are feeling fine then I believe you but Dr. Erwin will need a detailed analysis of your health when he gets back.

"The midget already has a 'detailed analysis'. He's already poked me with enough needles. I ain't lettin' ya poke me with anymore." Merle didn't even look at him and Daryl watched as the nurse backed off.

"Fine. You can leave but please don't wreck anything." She pointed to a side door and Merle stood up before storming out of it. "Alright, let's hope none of you are as difficult."

* * *

Daryl waited outside of the showers for the rest of the group to finish. He had opted out of having one as he already had one already. He picked under his nails with his knife and leaned against the wall of the building, watching the few people who walked by. Several stopped to say hi and others seemed to be too busy to stop. Merle walked by and Daryl watched him. He needed to know exactly what was going on.

"Merle, whats gotten int' ya? Why are ya hangin' out with that girl? Give me a straight answer. I think I deserve it." Daryl sheathed his knife and Merle stopped to look at him.

"Ya made yerself perfectly clear, Daryl. You ain't wantin' me around. I figure if you can choose yer family, why can't I? I need a family too." With that Merle left Daryl to his thoughts. Daryl felt almost hurt as Merle walked away despite the fact that is what he had wanted. He wanted Merle out of his life and he had gotten that wish. He frowned and wondered if Bree would even let Merle close enough to form that kind of relationship. Daryl doubted she could let anyone close, let alone someone like Merle.

* * *

_**Three months later**_

Daryl expertly deboned a hock and threw the bone into the garbage bin under the cutting table. Based on his skills he had been given the job of butcher and although it wasn't outside he was okay with it. The work was easy and he got to work alone. Someone walked in and he looked up.

"Can I help ya?" His tone was sarcastic and the brunette woman ignored him as she disappeared into the freezer. She came out again with a box and seemed to fight with something as she looked at him.

"The big house is having a barbeque if you would like to come. You can tell everyone in your group that they are more than welcome." She shifted the box and winced. Daryl mentally cursed before throwing down the knife and walking over to rescue the box before she dropped it on the floor. He took it and she rubbed at her side.

"Where do ya want the box, Bree?" He looked at her and she stared at him as if he had completely missed something she had just said. She had remained skittish around everyone but he had noticed she had settled into a routine.

"The big house, steaks for the barbeque." She looked away. "I can take the box." Daryl shook his head and carried it out the door only to nearly run into Merle. His older brother completely ignored him and took the box. Bree looked at him and he glowered back at her.

"Hey, little lady, after we dropped the steaks off, I was goin' to go shootin' at that herd of walkers passing by the eastern wall. Blow off some steam. Ya wanna come an' practice shootin' the rifle?" Merle stood in the door and Bree smiled at him.

"Sounds like a plan, Merle. If you want you could join us, Daryl. More than enough roamers to go around." Her voice was polite but Daryl shook his head.

"Sum'uv us have t' work." It was a low jab at her and she glared at him. "It ain't done by fairies." He walked away and could hear the door close after a few moments. He picked up his knife and aggressively cut into more of the meat. He had to get the last quarter of the beef done into burger. His knife strokes were harsh and angry. He threw the meat into a nearly over flowing tub and picked it up. He walked over to the grinder and turned it on. He fed the meat into the machine, hoping the sound of the machine would drown out his thoughts.

He finished grinding the tub and picked up the tub of ground meat before carrying it over to packaging. Several of the people called a hello but the rest saw the dark look on his face and ignored him. He set the tub onto the table and went back to his area. The rhythmic movement of cutting the meat soothed his temper a bit and he finished cutting and grinding the rest of the meat within an hour.

Daryl walked over to the sink and washed his hands and arms before taking off his apron. He threw it in the laundry bin before leaving. The sun was still in the sky and he could hear kids laughing in the distance. He walked away from the building and caught sight of Rick working with the horses and then saw Beth and Carol hanging the laundry out to dry with four other women. Several geese ran by him honking angrily as they were chased by three kids. It was busy but it was at least safe. He was heading towards the big house but he really didn't know why. Eleanor caught sight of him and waved. He nodded at her but she waved him over.

"Daryl, I need your help." She smiled at him and he wondered how she had managed to be related to Bree, she was extremely soft and sweet, motherly where Bree was rough and skittish around others, not wanting to be touched or addressed. She handed him a bow and full quiver of arrows. "Briana left these here, could you get them to her? Usually I would keep them here but I have my hands full with Arthur and Judith and I don't want them getting a hold of it." Daryl reluctantly took the bow and arrows. He didn't want to give them to Bree. He didn't want anything to do with her or Merle.

"Could you do that for me?" Eleanor gave him a warm smile and he returned it with a stiff nod.

"Yes, ma'am." He put the bow over his shoulder and did the same with the quiver.

"I saw them heading for the east wall with a rifle and some ammo. Probably going to have some moving target practice." There was a tone of disgust in the woman's voice and Daryl understood that she was squeamish when it came walkers. '_The dead should stay dead_.' Was her reply when Carl had asked her one day. He got on one of the parked quads and backed it out of its space before heading towards the east wall. The last thing he wanted to do was be alone with Bree and Merle. He felt a lot of resentment towards Bree for the fact that Merle had chosen her over him. He knew it was unfair, she hadn't chose Merle. She hadn't chosen anyone but now Merle was being a big brother to her like he had never done for Daryl and it stung. The wind whipped his face as he spotted their quad parked at the bottom of the middle guard tower and he turned in that direction. It took him a few moments to reach the tower and he shut off the quad and pulled out his key card to open the door. It flashed green and he pushed the door open and started up the stairs. His boots hitting the concrete stairs with empty sounding clunks. He pushed the top door open and stepped out.

"Girly, you ain't hittin' what ya wanna hit. Ya ain't shootin' it right, hold it like this and then exhale when ya pull the trigger." Merle's gruff instructions sounded almost mean and Daryl looked over at the two.

"You use that tone with me again and I'll break your teeth." Bree's voice was even and Merle reached over to push her head slightly.

"I'll use whatev'r tone I want with ya. Especially if ya gunna shoot like a namby-pamby baby." Merle pointed at something outside of the window. "Hit that one an' I'll wear a dress t' the barbeque." Bree pulled the trigger and Merle laughed.

"Ya missed." He reached over and handed her another bullet. Daryl watched as she took it and loaded the bullet into the chamber after ejecting the last one.

"Because I really don't want to see you in a dress." She gave an over exaggerated shudder and Merle chuckled.

"You gunna say summin, Daryl, or are ya gunna jus' stand there." He looked over his shoulder at him and Daryl took the bow from his shoulder along with his quiver.

"Eleanor told me t' give these t' Bree. Here's me, givin' these t' Bree." He walked over to hand her the bow and quiver but dropped them instead. "No, press the butt of the gun tight t' yer shoulder or ya can cause serious damage." She didn't acknowledge the advice, just trained the rifle on a walker and pulled the trigger. It dropped and she ejected the casing.

"This is getting too easy. They are withering away. Pretty soon they won't be anything but a bag of bones trying to crawl across the ground." Daryl watched as she loaded another bullet and shot another one.

"You've be'n holdin' out on me, little lady." Merle stated what seemed to be the obvious as she shot another one. She ejected that shell and put on the safety. Daryl watched as she winced and rubbed at her right shoulder. "Daryl, warned ya about holdin' the gun too far from yer shoulder." Daryl looked down at the crowd of walkers that had gathered at the base of the guard tower.

"It's not that, it's just from when- never mind. I'll remember to butt up next time." She picked up her bow and a single arrow. "You want to try shooting my bow, Merle?" The way she said it was completely sarcastic and Merle shook his head with a laugh.

"You sure? Alright." She stepped forward and Daryl watched as she drew her bow back to her cheek and let the arrow fly. The arrow went through one walker's head and into the one behind it. Daryl had only ever used his crossbow and he had never gotten that much power into one of his arrows.

"Even my crossbow ain't got that much force." He leaned on the window sill and he could hear her pulling an arrow from her quiver and then sound of her pulling the string back. It made a unique stretching sound that Daryl found pleasing.

"That because your crossbow relies on pulleys for strength and force. My bow's only restriction to power is with how far you can draw it back. The stronger your pull. The more force your arrow has." She let the arrow lose. It burst through one walker's skull and deep into the chest of another.

"Really? Could I test yer lil' theory out?" Daryl looked from the bow to her and she passed it to him without a sound. She grabbed an arrow gave it to him. He notched it and drew it back. It was more difficult to draw back than his crossbow. He wasn't used to having to use his left arm as a support for when he drew back. She lifted his drawing elbow slightly. Her fingertips barely touching his skin, his face felt a little warm but he put it down to the sun.

"Pull further back, to your cheek then look down the shaft of the arrow to your target. Once it is in your sight, let the string go and the rest just goes along." She leaned against the window sill and Daryl chose a walker that was staring up at them and he let the string go. It made a firm sound as it snapped back into place and the arrow went through the walker's head and hit the ground behind it. He hummed his appreciation for the weapon before handing it back to her.

"The barbeque should be started right about now. Bree, ya comin' with me or are ya gunna play with yer bow." Merle stood up and Daryl could see Bree smile at him.

"I am going to play with my bow a bit longer. I haven't used it in a while and I shouldn't get rusty." She turned back to her bow and Merle nodded before reaching over and ruffling her hair. She shot out a fist that bounced off his ribs and he just laughed it off.

"One of these days that might actually hurt, little lady." With that Merle left and silence fell over the tower as the door closed. Daryl gritted his teeth as he thought about their small display of playful friendship.

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Uh oh! Daryl is a teensy bit jealous.


	20. Chapter 19

Super sorry about the huge gap in uploading. We moved apartments and it took our internet provider like four days to switch our internet over it was a huge pain in the ass and then I have been swamped this week with physio and work so its like I am tearing my hair out.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

Enjoy!

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Bree looked her bow over, checking for any stress marks in the string and shaft. She picked up an arrow and notched it, checking the fit of the arrow to the bow and pulled back before letting the tension out of it slowly.

"Why do you hate me?" Bree asked the question rather easily as she pulled the string back to her cheek and aimed down into the small group of roamers. She let the arrow loose and it hit its mark easily.

"Cause of Merle." His voice was clipped and she picked up another arrow. Checking it for any cracks.

"Fair enough." She notched the arrow and within two seconds had taken down another roamer. If felt nice to shoot her bow again. "It is because he's teaching me things?" She picked up another arrow and tapped the tip to check the sharpness of the point.

"I don't have t' tell you anythin'." He clenched his fists and Bree notched the arrow and drew it back to her cheek. She held the arrow in that position until her shoulder left like it was on fire. She let it loose and dropped another roamer.

"Fair enough." Bree grabbed another arrow and set her bow down near the quiver and fiddled with the arrow. "Then why are you still standing here?" She rolled the arrow between her fingers, feeling the many nicks it had along the homemade shaft.

"I said, I don't have t' tell ya anythin'." His tone was clipped and Bree shrugged. His co-operation didn't matter to her at all.

"You do know I lied to you right?" She looked down the arrow and rubbed at the feathers.

"I don't care what you've done." He seemed agitated and she pointed the arrow bottom at him, he smacked it away, she fought back a small smile.

"I lied to you when I said I didn't know why the walls were built." She set the arrow back in the quiver and looked at the sky, it was a pretty blue. She looked out the open concrete window and watched as the roamers started to leave.

"I figured. Ya lie a lot." He was looking at her and she stared at the roamers, not wanting to look at him in that moment.

"Dixie Lee didn't have a good childhood. Abusive drunk of a father who killed himself after he killed his favourite prostitute when she told him she was leaving the business to go to school. After that it was one poor house after another as her mother tried to hold them together while holding down a job. She was just little at the time, six years old I think, when she learned that the world was a terrible place. A man raped her mother while she sat in her room. He raped her because she had caught him breaking in. Because of that, Dixie Lee grew up wanting to save the world from all the bad things. So when she got enough money, she built the walls to keep all the bad in the world at bay." She smiled a bit and scratched her nose. "For a long time it worked. Nothing bad happened to her while inside of it but then the outbreak happened and she brought person after person inside, trying to keep the bad outside. Then she brought in a man she should have left out. Ben." Bree looked at her hands and glanced at Daryl who was frowning at her.

"You remember him?" She clutched at her scar as he nodded. "Ben wanted what Dixie Lee had, power. The people inside the walls loved her. She had saved their lives but Ben thought she ruled over the community when she really just tried her best to keep order and peace. One day, when news came that several of the cities in the low lying lands had been completely lost to the roamer virus, Ben got a plan and he was going to use Dixie Lee to do it." She gritted her teeth and clutched tighter to the scar. Wincing at the pain it brought.

"He gave her a sob story about how there was a way she could save more people and she ate it up like it was a pretty cupcake. So they set out but Dixie Lee didn't realize that Ben could ever have any ulterior motives because nothing bad came insider the walls. It was raining and Dixie Lee kept asking Ben what people they would be helping and she was so excited to be doing _something._" Bree removed her hand from the scar and rubbed at the concrete wall. She crossed her arms before leaning against the windowsill again. "It was dark by the time Ben stopped the truck and he told her to get out. She did and he put a strange device in her hand. She questioned it and Ben looked at her and told her it was a detonator to blow up the dam. Now Dixie Lee didn't want to do that. She knew how many could be killed and she refused. However Ben wasn't going to take no for an answer so he pulled out his gun and pointed it at her and ordered her to press the button or he was going to shoot her and push the button anyway." She paused, not really wanting to finish the story.

"Is that all? What happened t' Dixie Lee?" Daryl sounded irritated at her sudden stop and she let out a small sigh.

"She did what she had to, to survive and pressed the button. Didn't do her any good. Ben put a bullet in her brain and threw her into the water." The lies burned coming out but she kept her face neutral.

"How do ya know all this?" Daryl sounded suspicious and Bree looked at him.

"I was there. I watched everything happen. I had front row tickets to the entire show. We all run away for a reason and now you know mine. I loved Dixie Lee. She had a lot of good in her." Bree watched as he looked at her, as if studying her face. "You wouldn't have liked her. She was a softy, a push over, a martyr. Always willing to throw herself on a grenade if it meant saving a single life." He frowned at her and she just shrugged

"That was depressing t' hear. Thanks fer ruinin' my night." He unclenched his hands and looked down at the few raining roamers that were clawing at the wall. Bree followed his gaze and coughed.

"The truth is depressing, Daryl." She let out another sigh and wondered if she should tell him or not. It was a difficult choice. "Truth is that Merle misses you. He's not willing to admit it but blood is blood and you are his little brother. Sure he's spending time with me but I can't replace you and he can't replace what I lost. My brothers…" She trailed off, not wanting to talk about them just yet. Even thinking about them left an achy hollow feeling in her chest. She missed the twins with a fierceness that surprised herself. She had forgotten how potent her emotion could be. The wall still stood but what leaked out could almost overwhelm her.

"Merle is a distraction from the real world. When he stands beside me and gives me grief over my stance or my shooting, I can forget that is really out there. I can forget that this world is cruel and has no place for people like me." She rubbed at her face and stood up straight. "Enough of my bitching. We should head back before Merle comes back to give me more shit for not eating." She picked up her bow and Daryl grabbed her wrist. She reflexively tried to pull away from the tight grasp.

"Ya told me that ev'ryone has a place. Why are ya any different than any one of us?" He was staring at her and Bree tugged against the grasp again.

"Because I'm nothing like you or the people in your group or anyone else in the community." She winced at the words and he dropped her wrist as if she disgusted him.

"You ain't anythin' special. You ain't done anythin' t' prove yer special." His blue eyes were cold as he glared at her and pushed away from the window. "I think ya need t' join the real world an' stop actin' like a child." He walked towards the door and Bree watched as he swiped his key card and pulled the door open. She was positive that if he could he would have slammed it behind him. She sighed and put her quiver and bow over her shoulder and left the tower. Surprisingly Daryl was waiting for her on the quad. She said nothing as she got on the back and he drove off. The ride was uncomfortably silent and Bree stared straight ahead, not wanting to call attention to herself. A shot rang out and the front tire of the quad went flat. Daryl cursed and Bree pulled her bow out and notched an arrow.

"This does not bode well." She pulled the string back and searched the area around them. There were only three people she knew who would cause them trouble and she spotted one of them standing on a hill, rifle in hand as the quad came to a complete stop, unable to go forward with a flat tire. A hand clamped over her face, pressing a cloth over her nose and mouth. She could smell something chemically sweet before black spots started dancing in her vision. Her grip on the arrow slipped and it soared into the sky before she let the bow go entirely, her hands too weak to hold onto it.

"Git yer hands off me! Y'all don't wanna know what I'm gunna do t' ya when I git free." Daryl's voice sounded very far away as Bree felt her body go limp as the chloroform worked into her system. It was a strange feeling being unable to move yet having her mind still a bit clear but it didn't last and the black spots grew larger and the last thing she remembered was how blue the sky was.

* * *

Uh oh.


	21. Chapter 20

Again, super sorry about the long wait. Started work again despite my hurt shoulder so I have been exhausted. No excuses though!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Daryl woke up as his head hit what felt like a metal floor. It was dark and he could hear the sounds of an engine. There was another rough bump and he winced as it made him bounce on his back and his cuffed hands. Other than the engine and the sound of tires on the ground the truck was silent. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the dark. He rolled to his side and managed to sit up. His boot bumped off of something soft and after a few more blinks he could see an outline of another person. Their hands were cuffed behind their back and Daryl knew it had to be Bree. She was being drug of the quad when he saw her last, her body had been limp and they cuffed her. He didn't remember much of anything else as they had pinned him down and pressed a cloth to his face. After that was pretty much blank. He winced and tried to slip his hand cuffs so his hands would be in front of him but the cuff chain was too short. He reached out with his foot and pushed at Bree's shoulder with the toe of his boot. She rolled onto her front and another bump had her face bounce off of the floor. Daryl winced as she groaned and sat up. She groaned again and Daryl looked around.

"Shhh, they don't know we're awake." His voice was a harsh whisper and she nodded or at least that's what the motion she did looked like to him. He watched trying to see what she was going as she gave a rather pained panting sound that was punctuated with a few muffled grunts. She slowly stopped struggling and looked at him, then raised her hands up so he could see. Daryl could have kissed her in that moment. She shuffled around for a few moments before moving closer.

"I always keep a pick on me. Give me your cuffs." She reached forwards and Daryl raised his hands, the silver cuffs almost visible in the dark. Her cold hands grasped his wrist and after a few moments the first cuff opened and she switched to his other hand. It opened and Daryl took it and tucked it into his belt. "Can you pick cuffs?" Daryl nodded and grabbed her wrist and they fumbled a bit in trying to pass the pick over. Her hands seemed sticky and Daryl grabbed at the cuffs, trying to find the lock on them. His hands kept slipping on the cold metal but he managed to find the lock and picked it open. It slid off his wrist and when he went to do the next one she stopped him and took the pick away.

"I've got the last one." He could barely see her head dip down and he wiped his hands on his shirt, trying to get rid of whatever substance had been on her hands. She gave a sigh of relief and held up the cuffs. "This is one of the moving trucks. I have a few knives stashed under the wooden seats along the walls. She moved into the darkness and Daryl reached behind himself to feel for the long wooden bench. His knuckles bumped off of it and he hastily used his fingers to feel along the underside of the bench. He found a sliding panel and pushed it open, something hit his wrist and landed on the metal floor with a muted thump. He reached down and picked it up. It was a decent sized knife in a sheath.

"Got one'uv 'em." Daryl put it in his back pocket and he could hear the sound of wood sliding against wood and realized she had found hers as well. "Where are ya?" He looked into the dark and a bump made him wince as he scraped his knuckles along the floor. A small hand landed on his and then grabbed his arm.

"I'm right here and I hope that's you because if it's not I don't want to know what else they have in here." The hand retreated and Daryl shifted towards the sound of her voice so that their arms touched slightly.

"It's me. Nothin' else in here but us." He looked around as the truck bounced again. Making their shoulders brush. "Who's got us?" He pulled the knife from his pocket and felt a bit reassured by the weight of it.

"Ben's brothers. I knew I should have kept a closer eye on them. I told them what happened and they seemed to accept it but I should have known." Her voice was filled with self-loathing and Daryl bumped his shoulder against hers.

"Ya managed t' kill Ben, I don't think 'em boys will be a problem." He looked around again and undid his belt to put the knife sheath on it.

"The problem is what they might do to everyone else in the walls. The cure was almost ready to be administered to everyone but Dr. Erwin was floundering on the decision. If they lead a pack of roamers into the walls, everyone could be killed." She gritted her teeth hard enough that Daryl could hear it. He slid the sheath onto his belt and did it up again.

"It ain't yer fault. Them boys have bad blood. Ya couldn't'uv known what they were plannin' t' do." He stood up, trying to keep his balance in the moving truck. "Ya got any other weapons stashed around?" Daryl felt for the wooden bench to orientate himself and he could hear Bree climbing to her feet as well."

"I don't know if they would have found it but there might be a pistol and ammo under a seat near the front. It looks and feels like one large chunk of wood but if you pull off the cushion there is a compartment under it. You might need the knife to get it open." She bumped into him as the truck turned suddenly and Daryl grabbed her arm to steady her, pressing his other hand to the side of the truck to steady himself. "Thanks." He could hear her shifting her stance wider as the truck straightened out. He felt along the wall until he hit the corner and changed direction. He bumped into Bree and she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him downwards. He didn't complain as he felt the wooden block she had described. He could barely see her hands as she fumbled with removing the cushion. Daryl pulled out his knife and she grabbed his hand, pressing it to the wood.

"There's a small lip. Find it." Her hand moved off of his, leaving some more of the sticky fluid on it. He brushed his hand along the wood and it took a few tried before he could feel the lip. He pressed the knife into the small crack and pushed the knife to the side. It took a bit of force but the wood finally gave and a chunk of the block popped up. He could just see Bree's hand fumbled with it before she managed to push it open all the way. Daryl put the knife away and watched as Bree pulled out something heavy. Daryl felt her grab his arm before sliding it down to his hand. She pressed a gun into it and then what felt like two extra clips. She pulled away from him and he could hear her fiddling with something metallic.

"Ya got one too?" He didn't know why type of pistol it was and didn't really care as he tucked it into his waistband and stood up, slipping the two extra clips into his pocket.

"Yah, I don't think I'll be able to use it though." Her voice sounded shaky and Daryl reached out blindly and his hand brushed what felt like her lips and cheek. She grabbed it with hers and pressed the second pistol into his hand. He closed his hand around the second pistol and pressed it back into her hand.

"You carry it. I can't pack ev'rythin' around." He waited until she clasped her hand around it before sliding his hand down her arm and grasping right above her elbow, helping her to her feet. Once she had her footing he let her go. "When do ya think they are gunna stop?" There was silence from the smaller woman and Daryl shook his head.

"Havin' a bit of co-operation would be nice, darlin'. Seems how ya got us int' this mess." He looked into her general direction and he could hear her moving around.

"I don't know and the reason you are here is because they probably thought you were Merle. He's by my side constantly and they would have mistaken you for him." She sounded almost far away, as if she were deep in thought and far away from the situation.

"Is that supp'sed t' reassure me? If it is, it ain't workin'." He bit back a groan of frustration when she didn't respond. "Are ya with me, darlin'? If ya ain't I'd like t' know so I can dump ya off on the closest herd of walkers." He widened his stance as the truck bounced off of another bump. She really needed to get with the program or he was seriously contemplating leaving her to fend for herself.

"I'm sorry, I just trying to figure out where the hell they would be taking us." Her pause was long but he knew she was going to say something else. He could hear her angrily kick at the wooden block. "They are taking us to the dam. Fuck. How long do you think we were out?" Her voice rose just above a whisper and Daryl could have reached over and punched her for it.

"Keep yer voice down!" He practically hissed it at her and he could hear her gritting her teeth. The truck slowed down and she grabbed his arm.

"There's rope on hanging on the wall. They are going to push the truck over the dam." Her words were rushed and Daryl could practically feel the panic radiating off of her. He touched the walls and moved his hand along it but couldn't feel any rope. He cursed and then his boot hit something. He reached down and could feel the roughness of rope and he picked it up. "We need to tie the rope to the doors. They are probably going to pop the truck into neutral and then push it cab first into the ravine. If we tie ourselves to the door we can suspend ourselves so we don't hit the sides." Daryl understood her plan completely and grabbed her arm before pulling her towards the back doors. They both fumbled around and Daryl felt two steel bars and slipped the rope around them.

The truck came to a complete stop and Daryl was starting to feel panicked as he tied a quick and secure bowline knot around the steel bars and then quickly pulled Bree close so that he could tie them together. He draped a length of rope on the ground and stepped on it. Making his stance wide.

"Step ont' the rope." He could feel Bree's feet step in between his and he quickly pressed the rope to the second bar and wrapped it around then back onto itself before pulling it tight and looping it around their waists. He pulled it tight, bringing Bree even tighter to his chest.

"No matter what happens, darlin', ya do not let me go. Hold on tight an' don't let go." He finished tying the rope around their waists and he could hear someone outside of the door.

"Come on. Push." At the words Daryl wrapped one arm around Bree and held onto the rope with his other one. When the truck started rolling Bree's arms wrapped around his chest tightly. Her breathing was erratic and in that moment Daryl didn't blame her. The truck seemed to be gaining speed. He cursed as the front wheels went over the edge and the entire truck started tilting.

"Keep yer feet on the rope an' don't let me go." He practically had to shout it over the sound of metal scraping over concrete. He could feel Bree nod into his chest and then they were completely suspended. Daryl closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact.

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Hate me yet?


	22. Chapter 21

Okay, I am warning you now that this is a dangerously dark chapter. Merle kind of goes really into character here. He is absolutely _brutal_ here. This story is rated M for more than one reason and this chapter shows you that. Alright so please keep that in mind when you read it.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Merle hated to admit he was worried but he was getting there. Bree hadn't come to the barbeque and neither had Daryl. In fact it had been over sixteen hours and no one had seen or talked to them. He looked at the truck we was working on and wiped his hand on a rag. He was working in the mechanics shop, Bree had assigned it to him so he could play with the vehicles. He removed the modified wrench from his metal prosthetic and set it on his tool box. He didn't mind it, some of the vehicles were fun to work on but it was easy work.

"We got a flat tire on one of the quads." At the voice he walked around the side of the truck to see what had happened. The guys who rolled it in seemed surprised to see him, not only surprised but nervous.

"What happened t' the tire?" He asked it gruffly and the three men seemed almost reluctant to say anything to him and Merle's instincts for sniffing out a rat went on high alert. He walked over to the quad and noticed a chunk of the strap to Daryl's crossbow was stuck around the bars on the back. He discretely pressed the yellow button on his garage door opener. The door started closing and he bent down to look at the flat tire, nonchalantly rocking the quad back and forth as if testing the suspension. He could see an awfully round hole in the side of the tire. He stood up. "I'm gunna ask y'all again. What happened t' the quad an' I'm gunna add, what did y'all do t' the little lady an' my lil brotha?" At his words the three men had their hands on their guns immediately. Merle hit the closest one across the face with his metal covered arm. He dropped almost comically slow and Merle grabbed the man's gun. He slid the rack back within a second had fired a round at the smallest of the men, hitting him between his eyes. He trained the gun on the last of them. Merle sneered as he watched the man drop his gun and put his hands up. He lowered the gun and put a bullet into the skull of the man lying on the floor. He raised it once again and shot the other man in the leg. He fell to the floor screaming and Merle walked over.

"Are ya gunna answer my question or should I put a bullet in yer other leg?" He crouched down and pressed the barrel of the gun to the guy's thigh. Knowing that the metal would burn the skin through the fabric.

"It was supposed to be you! We thought we had you, you were supposed to be with her!" The man was crying as he grabbed at his leg. The wound was bleeding and Merle knew the noise would bring others to the area. The man was sobbing and Merle wanted nothing more to put a bullet between his eyes to stop his pathetic snivelling.

"What do ya mean, boy, and ya better think twice before lyin' t' me." He moved the gun from his other leg to his wounded one before pressing the barrel hard into the wound. The man's scream was blood curdling and Merle pulled the gun away. "Tell me!" The words were booming and the man pissed his pants, urine moving across the floor and soaking into his clothes. Merle was thoroughly disgusted with how pathetic and weak the man was.

"You were supposed to be in the truck with her. You were supposed to go over the dam with her. No one was supposed to find out. They would have thought that you and her went on a hunting trip and never came back. Please, oh god." The man clutched at his leg and tears and snot streamed down his face. Merle grabbed the barrel of the gun and slammed the grip against the wound and twisted. The man screamed in pain and Merle watched his face twist in agony.

"Over the dam? What dam?" Merle lifted the gun and the man panted in relief.

"Yes, we handcuffed them and put them in the back of one of the trucks. We reached the old Gardiner Dam and pushed the truck over." He looked at Merle with pleading eyes and Merle turned the gun around and shot the man in his knee. His scream was blood curdling.

"Ya sent the little lady an' my brotha over a dam?" Merle's rag hit boiling point and he stood up. Pressing the gun between the weeping man's eyes. "Ya better tell me why before I put a bullet in yer brain." The man started sobbing tugging at his leg.

"She killed our brother. She killed Ben." He looked up at him and Merle smirked coldly.

"I can see the family resemblance." He pulled the trigger and the man fell backwards, his dead eyes looking at the ceiling. Several people burst into the garage and Merle kicked at the quad, never feeling as angry as he did in that moment.

"What the hell happened?" It was Carol and Merle glared at her darkly.

"I'll tell ya what happened. Those _worms_ took my lil brotha an' the little lady t' the dam. Had them handcuffed in the back of a truck an' pushed them over in it." He wiped at the blood splatter on his face. He turned around and stomped on the man's face. He kept kicking, even when several men grabbed him by the arms and drug him away. Merle tried to pull away from them but they held him tightly.

"Let me go ya bastards!" Merle struggled against their tight grips and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. Merle roared soundlessly, trying to fight them off and when he realized it was no good he went limp. His brother and Bree were gone. Killed locked in the back of a truck three sociopaths pushed over a ravine and Merle did something he hadn't done since he was a child. He cried. The sobs seemed to rip out of his chest and the hands holding him tight loosened enough that he was sitting on the floor. He brought a knee up and tugged his shoulders out of their grasp and gave into the large heaving sobs. His family was truly gone. There was no going back, those bastards had killed them in a way that Merle never thought anyone could do, it was that heartless. Someone touched his arm and he lashed out with his hand. The person managed to duck it and grabbed his face.

"Merle, pull yourself together." It was the nurse from the medical building and Merle shook his head, the tears blurring his vision.

"They are gone. They're gone." He clutched at the nurse and her arms wrapped around him, her hand threading through his short hair as she shushed him gently. Merle was getting rid of years of tension and heartache in one go and he hated that it felt nice. He hated that he felt relieved as he cried. He hated that he felt relieved when his brother and Bree were most likely dead.

"It's going to be alright. Let it all out." Her voice was calm and soothing and Merle clutched at her harder, feeling as though he was lost. As if he were falling and he wasn't ever going to stop.

* * *

Carol watched Merle break down with a lump in her throat. She had never thought for one second that the man might actually care about someone other than himself. It was like she saw him in a new light but that didn't mean he was any different than how he usually was. She looked at the three corpses on the floor. One of which had its head reduced to a pile of mush thanks to Merle. He was still Merle but he was Merle who had lost two people very dear to him. She left the building, seeing the dead bodies, especially the mutilated one made her a bit ill. If what Merle said was true then Daryl was gone and she hated the fact she would have to be the one to break the news.

The trip back to the main yard was a slow one and Carol hated every second of the ride. The news she had was a very heavy burden to carry and it seemed to weigh her down. When she reached the yard the first person to greet her was Beth and the younger woman seemed to know something was wrong immediately.

"Carol?" It was just her name but it held many question and Carol wrapped her arms around the young woman, pressing her cheek to the top of her head.

"It's Daryl. He's gone." Carol could feel tears burning her eyes and she blinked them back. Beth pulled back a bit to look at her with confusion.

"Where did he go?" Her simple and innocent words were all it took and Carol let the tears fall freely.

"No, sweetie, Daryl is _gone_. He's dead." The words finally managed to sink in and Beth's bottom lip started trembling. Her blue eyes filling with tears had Carol bringing her hand up to her mouth to cover her own trembling chin as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Why?" The word was so broken sounding that Carol let out a small sob and held the girl tightly.

"I don't know, sweetie. I just don't know."

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Merle might seem a little OOC but if you think about it he just lost two people he cared about and he reached a point when you are so angry that you kind of burst into tears and it snowballed from there.


	23. Chapter 22

Here's the newest installment!_**  
**_

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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_**Three weeks later**_

Eleanor had buried her daughter, buried her memories of her. She even had a cross made for above the empty grave. Those bastards hadn't left her anything but Briana's bow and a quiver to bury. She hoped and prayed that Briana and Daryl were alive but they had discovered the truck at the bottom of the spill way, crushed. Any attempts at trying to reach the vehicle were futile. The force of the water prevented anyone from getting it and on the last time they went to try, the truck was gone completely.

Eleanor looked out of Arty's nursery window at Merle and Brutus walking by the house. The dog had attached himself to the man's side ever since the makeshift funeral. The three men Merle had killed were dumped into a shallow grave and burned. Eleanor remembered pulling Merle to the side and thanking him. It wasn't much just a thank you but she knew he could understand what she meant. She was glad he had killed them men who had killed her little girl.

The man said nothing just stared at her when she said it. He stared at her with eyes that were so filled with hurt, anger, and sadness that she had to look away. It wasn't easy seeing your own feelings mirrored in someone else. He had no interaction with anyone and continually left the safety of the walls for days on end and Eleanor worried that one day he just might not come back at all. She knew he had cared for her Briana, she wasn't sure in what way but he had cared for her and her loss hurt him just as much as it hurt everyone else.

Daryl's loss wasn't as felt as widespread through the community but to those who knew him, it was devastating. They had buried his crossbow like Eleanor had buried Briana's bow and arrows. Life wasn't fair. She had lost all of her children and she knew that the saying, no parent should ever have to bury a child was more than true. She had gone through so much in her life and now that she truly thought about it, losing her children was just another way for God to torture her. She hated how her daughter must have suffered in her last moments. How the thought of her drowning made Eleanor find it difficult to breath. The lump in her throat threatened to choke her.

"I am sorry, baby girl. So sorry." She fought back tears and refused to appear that weak, not when everyone was relying on her to do her job of being a pillar of strength. She looked down and watched as Merle pulled something from his pocket. She opened the window and leaned out a ways. "Merle, I'd like to see you downstairs." He looked like he wanted to walk away, to ignore her.

"Please." She figured she would throw that out there just to see if it would make any difference. Only when he started walking towards the house did she close the window and walk down the stairs. The rough man stood in the doorway and Eleanor waved him to come in. He stood his ground and she gritted her teeth. "I understand you have been combing the river." He said nothing and Eleanor wanted to hit him for being so stoic, so quiet. She didn't understand how he could stand there and say nothing, how he could bury his grief so deep that no one could see it.

"If you have found anything or know anything about my little girl. Please, she's all I had left." She looked up at him and his face was like it was carved from stone. There was nothing there, no give, no emotion and she felt defeated. "I'm sorry its just-"

"They ain't dead, if that's what yer askin'." His voice was rough and gravelly and Eleanor looked at him.

"How do you-" He grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door abruptly. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't drag me around like a dog." He let her arm go and continued walking, Eleanor had a bit of trouble trying to keep up with his pace. Their route took them to the far edge of the town buildings, to the small house that stood a fair bit away from the others. Merle opened the door and walked into the dark interior. Eleanor hesitated but stepped inside. She watched as Brutus curled up on an old blanket that was on the floor and Merle turned to look at her.

"If ya tell anyone about what ya see here, I will do t' ya what I did t' those boys in the shop." Even though his voice was cold Eleanor could understand where he was coming from. Hope was like wildfire but reality could put it out in an instant. It was like the situation with Dr. Erwin. He had said he had found the cure to the virus. A special white blood cell and proteins that created a super immune system to fight off the virus. He didn't want her to tell anyone because of what it might do. If the cure didn't work then the devastation would be terrible.

"And if you don't tell me what you have found, I'll do worse to you." Even she was surprised at the coldness in her voice and the man leaned back, his eyes flashing with something that resembled recognition. As if he had heard someone say something like that to him.

"Ya sound like the little lady." His voice was low and Eleanor looked at him closely. So that is where he had heard it. Briana had said something like that to him once before. "Makes sense, yer her mother and she had t' learn her attitude sumwhere." He walked into the small dark living room and Eleanor followed. Maps hung on the walls and she stared at the red circles drawn on them.

"It's a map of the river. I've be'n findin' things." He gestured to the coffee table and she noticed several cut lengths of rope, a badly damaged knife, and a set of open handcuffs. She went to touch them when Merle grabbed her wrist and put another set in her hand. She looked up at him and he held up a small, thin piece of metal.

"It's a lockpick. Little lady always carried one on her. Now I was thinkin' that if I found the cuffs, then I'd find them but I found these instead. A dead body doesn't jus' lose its cuffs, a live person takes 'em off. They ain't dead." He set the lock pick on the table and Eleanor put the hand cuffs on the table as well. "They are down river. I jus' don't know where."

"The river flows swiftly and the currents are strong. If they managed to find something to hold onto, the current slows down where the river widens." She pointed to a spot on the map. "Right here. They would be able to reach the shore. There's nothing around but roamers and thugs but Briana would have wanted to follow the river." She tapped the map and Merle seemed to ponder the route.

"That's a mighty long way t' walk." His finger traced the river eight hundred miles back to the dam.

"Well I'm guessing Briana isn't going to want to walk. I hate to admit faults in my children but when I would take the keys from my boys' car, they would hot wire it and take it anyway. If they knew how to do it, Briana does as well." Eleanor felt a bloom of hope in her chest. "She will steal a car and make her way back over here."

"Hey now, my lil' brotha ain't no slouch either." Merle scowled at her and Eleanor narrowed her eyes at him. "He's a Dixon."

"I know your Daryl can hold his own, its Briana I'm worried about." She turned back to the map and looked at the cities between the compound and the widening of the river.

"She's tough. Has 'nough guts t' be a Dixon." He nodded to her and she realized he was trying to reassure her, in his own way. "Daryl'll look after her as much as she will 'im. They can make it back." He tapped the wall with his metal arm.

"What if you went out to find them?" She looked at the gruff man and he shook his head, much to her surprise.

"I ain't gunna do that." He looked at the maps and Eleanor found the dim light a strain to her eyes.

"Why not? You've been scouring that river for three weeks. This is just another-"

"I said no. They need t' prove what they are made of. I ain't gunna go out an' rescue 'em when they can make it back here on their own. Jus' ain't the Dixon way." He scowled at her and Eleanor felt herself stiffen, of all the nerve the man could have had. This was her daughter. Her baby girl.

"But Briana is a Hooper and I assure you-"

"She's good as a Dixon, I ain't wastin' my time searchin' fer 'em. Ya wanna send sumone out t' find her, go yerself. I ain't doin' it. Either they come back or they don't. At least they fought fer it." Merle's face was stern, as if she was a child and not a woman fifteen years his senior.

"She's my baby girl! I will not let her be forced to be alone out there!" She pointed at finger him and he gave her another look that had her bristling with anger.

"She ain't yer baby girly anymore. Jus' remember it. She's killed, she's protected herself, she's survived. She ain't yer child no more." He turned away from her and Eleanor huffed before storming out the small house. She didn't want to even think about what he had said. Briana would always be her baby girl. Her youngest and now only child.

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Eeeeeeeee!


	24. Chapter 23

Sorry about the wait. I started playing one of those old videos games where it takes like days to finish. Yah, time well spent. Done disk one and just started disk two so its been time consuming. However here is chapter 23!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing

Enjoy!_  
_

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_Water streamed into the truck through a large gash in the roof and the metal groaned around them. Not being able to withstand the pressure. The truck was on its side and Bree looked at Daryl and shook him, he must have hit his head and she hated how limp he was. She shook him again, sunlight streamed in through the large hole in the side. Water sprayed up and over the back of the truck. Sending droplets through the peeled back panelling. She shook him again._

"_Wake up!" Her words had no effect and she pulled out her knife, cutting the ropes that bound them to the door and together. They started sliding down into the water. It was icy and she gasped as it went up to her waist. She was careful to hold Daryl's head above the water but with how quickly it was rising she was afraid they were going to run out of room. Daryl moved and she shook him. Splashing the cold water onto his face. "Wake up! We have to get out of here." She shook him and then his eyes opened. The blue stared at her with confusion before the look turned to sudden realization._

"_Shit." He sat up and the angle of the truck made it impossible to stand and the metal started to groan louder. Bree could feel the back of the truck lifting. Daryl looked around before grabbing a floating length of rope. He tied it around his wrist then hers. He swallowed nervously, his eyes darting back and forth as the water rose and the truck went completely vertical. The water reached Bree's neck and she knew that it would soon cover her head. Daryl grabbed her hand and pulled her close._

"_Don't let go." The cold seeped into her bones and her teeth started chattering. Daryl shook his head, his eyes just as fearful as hers. "Please, don't let go." The truck tumbled forward and they were forced underwater. She was pulled from Daryl's grasp by the force of the motion but held onto the rope tightly before that too, snapped._

* * *

Bree woke up with a start, sitting up, she panted as the remnants of the nightmare slipped away. She shook violently and looked around. The nightmares were common, every night and she burst into tears. She tried to muffle the sobs but the sound woke up Daryl who sat up quickly.

"What's wrong?" He looked at her and Bree was furious with herself. She tried to calm herself but the sobs just wouldn't stop. They shook her entire frame.

"You let go." It was the same as every dream, that terrifying moment when they had been torn apart as the water flipped the truck over. The rope had held them together and it was Daryl who had pulled her from the inside of the metal box and through the hole in the side. From there it was hazy. They had surfaced quite far away from where the truck was, they tried to swim towards the river bank but the current was so strong that it kept pushing them further down river. Daryl placed his hand over hers and the gesture pulled her back from the memories.

"Don't think about it." His face matched his voice, they were both sombre. She coughed and wiped away the tears. She took in a shuddering breath and pulled her hand from under his and rubbed at the scars on the tops of her wrists. She had cut them badly on the cuffs when she had maneuvered her hands to in front of her when they were stuck in the back of the truck. She looked at him and wiped her face on her sleeve again, hating the sticky feeling they left on her skin.

"It's kind of hard when your brain is doing the replay reel at the worst possible memory." She pulled her knees up to her chest and stared into the burning embers of the fire. She could hear Daryl sigh then lay back down. They were holed up in the opening to a sewer, in god knew what city. For all she knew they could be two thousand miles from home. It had been three weeks. _Three weeks_ since they are been pushed over the edge of the ravine in the truck. They had found a boat while floating down the river and climbed in, with little strength to do anything but lie in the bottom of it and pant. So they continued to float down stream. Two days later they managed to row the boat to the river bank and got out to try and figure out where there were. They had made little progress with that and they had decided that they needed to follow the river to make it back home.

Their relationship had changed, Daryl no longer openly despised her but surviving what they did made it almost impossible to hate a person. They weren't close by any means but they cared about each other's wellbeing for the most part. Making sure they always had food and protection from the elements. It was summer so the heat was enough to make it so it wasn't too bad without a blanket but they had silently agreed to prepare for when the days grew colder.

Out of everything, Bree really missed Brutus and surprisingly Merle. She didn't know if Daryl missed anyone from his group but she had caught him studying a water logged, black and white photo a few times. She wondered if he had a lady he had lost when the outbreak happened.

"You ain't plannin' on fallin' back t' sleep are ya?" Daryl's voice sounded almost annoyed and Bree rubbed her forehead before taking out her ruined braid, once all the strands were free, she set about to braiding it again.

"Nope." The motion of braiding her hair was almost soothing. It was normal in a time where normalcy was a fleeting moment rather than an entire day.

"I didn't know ya had _that_ much hair." He sounded almost intrigued by it and Bree shrugged as she tied it off with a small scrap of fabric. Her elastic long gone down the river.

"I rarely ever leave it out of the braid. Roamers like to grab at it when I am running away, trying not to get eaten." She gave a huffing laugh and could see Daryl from the corner of her eye as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

"Ya could jus' cut it off." He was smirking, she could hear it in his voice but that didn't stop her from clutching at the braid protectively.

"I will not! This hair is the only thing I have." She felt the familiar lumps of the braid under her fingertips. It was the only thing she had from before the outbreak. Her only treasure from before her lucky wins. Her hair had been the one thing she had been proud of. It was sad but true, her only crowning achievement was that which grew from her head but with her being so plain, her hair was her greatest feature.

"Aw now that jus' hurts, darlin', ya have me don't ya?" At his words Bree felt a small blush spread across her face. It wasn't fair because she wasn't used to people saying things like that.

"Yah and I also have the roamers. Only creatures I know who want to eat me." She smirked at the innuendo and she could hear Daryl choke back laughter.

"I'm sure that ain't true. I've seen Dean sniffin' around ya like a horny hound dog." He stood up and stretched, keeping the weight off of his once leg. Bree stood as well before crouching down to put out the fire.

"He yelps like one when you kick him too." She dumped the bucket of water on it and listened to the coals sizzle as darkness engulfed the small area. It was practiced movements as they moved around in the darkness. They had been camped there for over two weeks. Daryl had cut his right leg pretty badly when they were searching for supplies in a less dense roamer area. They had been running from a small group of roamers when they had to dive through a basement window. He had caught his leg on a piece of glass and had gotten a mild infection from the stagnant water lying in the basement. Took them a bit of time to get back to their camp spot and when they did Daryl had wanted to keep moving. Bree had put her foot down and they had stayed.

"I know. That boy deserves a kick t' the ass ev'ry once while." His voice came from the far side of the tunnel and Bree knew not to move too much from her spot near the camp fire. She turned to roll up her blanket and stuff it into a rough looking back pack.

"And why is that?" She did a quarter turn and her hand found the flashlight she had kept beside her sleeping area. She flicked it on and shook it several times to get it to work. The part of the province they were in took a massive hit of water from the dam and everything they found was water logged. Electronics were useless as was ammo and running vehicles were a joke. She let out a small sigh at their predicament as the flashlight refused to even flicker.

"Cause he keeps sniffin' around ya." There was a small bit of humor in Daryl's voice and Bree had to give a small smile, despite the flush the words brought to her face. After the ten months she had spent on her own, the ten months she had kept herself locked up tightly, something had shifted. After they were sent over the edge of the ravine and into the river she had allowed herself to feel again. To allow Briana Dixie Lee Hooper to breathe air again. She was still Bree but Briana Dixie Lee was still breathing inside of her. She was still there and Bree cherished the feeling.

"Getting jealous are we?" She shook the flashlight once more in frustration and was surprised as the light went on. The beam bounced off the circular concrete drainage pipe.

"Nah, jus' protectin' the lil' sis. Yer a Dixon and blood is blood. Ain't no-one good enough for the lil' sis." Daryl's shoulder was in the beam and Bree shined it on him. The words were callously sarcastic and Bree had to smirk at them. His face was dirty as were his clothes. He held up his hand and limped a bit as he moved out of the light.

"I'm sorry but Merle is infinitely more threatening than you are when he says it." She propped the flashlight on her pack as she stood to roll up Daryl's blanket. It was best if he didn't carry anything. His leg made him slow enough as it was.

"Ouch, darlin', that really hurt my feelin's." He sniggered from where they kept their canned food. She could hear him putting the can into the pillow case.

"We all know you don't have feelings." Bree shoved his blanket into the pack with hers and picked up the flashlight and shined it on him once again. He was favouring his leg but they needed to get a move on to make it back to the compound before it got cold.

"That's right, darlin', a Dixon ain't got no feelin's. Best ya remember that if ya wanna be part of the family." He stood up and rubbed at the bandage. Bree bit her tongue, wanting to tell him not to do that.

"I'm not part of the family, Daryl. Merle's part of mine. He shoved himself into my life and made himself at home. Dirty feet on the coffee table and everything. I don't have the sheer guts it takes to be a Dixon." She shrugged the pack on and rolled her right shoulder. Still wasn't in the greatest shape after what Ben did to it but it was better than what Daryl had to deal with at the moment. He handed her the sack of food and she took it, tying it to the strap on the backpack.

"Awwww come on. Ya have more guts than anyone I know, little lad-"

"Don't call me that." The words were sharp and Bree gritted her teeth. "Only Merle can call me that." She didn't know why she snapped it out but having that name come from Daryl's mouth didn't feel right. It felt like he was mocking her and she didn't particularly care for being mocked.

"I'm sorry, darlin', that I ain't Merle. Need I remind ya that we would be both dead if it wasn' fer me? I got us out 'uv that truck. I got us t' shore. Don't give me any of that an' stop remindin' me that I ain't yer best friend Merle." He glared at her coldly. "Yer an outsider. I'm blood. I'm his brotha. Yer jus' a lil girl pretendin' that she ain't responsible fer her brotha's dyin'. A lil girl tryin' t' replace 'em with sumone else. Keep yer mouth shut sista' cause I ain't above smackin' it fer shit like that." Bree felt her face flash with rage and she flicked off the flashlight and walked towards the entrance of the tunnel. Not caring if Daryl was following or not. What did it matter if he said it out of anger? The words were true. Anthony and Howard were dead because of her. She had run away, she couldn't face herself or Ben so she had ran until she had found enough hatred and rage to make it back. Until she found the guts to do what she should have in the moment Ben wanted her to pull the trigger. She should have pulled out Howie's knife and gutted him right there. She had done it but it was ten months too late and two brothers too short.

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Don't worry, they will get together soon. Soon soon as in the twenties chapters. Some where in this group of ten they get together. So wait patiently my little friends. It shall all come to pass.


	25. Chapter 24

Sorry again about the weird uploading schedule, even I don't know it half the time. So my most sincerest apologies.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Daryl cursed at himself mentally. She had seen some shit in her life, lost a lot of people. It wasn't her fault that he had pushed Merle away so hard that he stumbled right into her. It wasn't her fault that Ben had killed Dixie Lee, forcing her to run away to save her own life. She had kinship with Merle, both irredeemable outsiders who banded together to take on life. Daryl felt jealousy, a lot of it, he knew it but he was never one to control his temper especially when it called for it. From what he had learned, Bree and her twin brothers had been close, inseparable even. She followed them around like a lost puppy and them being thirteen years older had treated her with so much love that Daryl had been jealous of that too. Merle had never treated him like an older brother should. He never bandaged a scraped knee, he never dusted him off when he fell down. He never taught him anything just because he had asked. Bree had been blessed in a way she didn't even realize but even he knew that if Merle had died, he would have mourned and moved on because the connection wasn't strong. Losing her brothers had done something to her deep down. Something had broken and at times he would catch her looking so lost and listless that it damn near broke his sometimes non-existent heart.

"Can't keep my mouth shut fer a second, can I?" He started walking towards the entrance to the tunnel in the dark. The still healing cut in his leg was painful and he pressed his palm to it. Another thing he was jealous of was when she got that look in her eyes and Merle noticed. Merle did everything he could to get her to react. Insult her, tease her, poke and prod until she reacted, whether it was with a kick, a punch, or a half-smile, he kept at it until he broke through that shell and brought her back. Daryl kicked at the concrete floor, the scuffing sound echoing around him.

In the guard tower she had told him that Merle missed him and that no matter what, she would never be able to replace him as much as Merle would never be able to replace her brothers. Daryl had wondered on that but never really thought about it. Merle was his brother but he had done so much shit that Daryl resented him but it didn't change the fact that Merle had come back for him. He had followed him over two thousand miles to try and apologize in his own non-apologetic way. It counted but Daryl wasn't ready to forgive him, he doubted if he would be able to.

"Are you going to walk like that for the rest of the day? Might as well feed you to roamers for what you are good for." The words were cold and Daryl glared at the woman standing in the mouth of the tunnel. She returned the favour. "We have a lot of ground to cover and daylight is precious." She turned her back on him and jumped down over the lip of the pipe. She waited for him and Daryl had to sit down with his feet over the edge before grabbing her hand to steady himself. Her grip was tight and angry but at least she was helping. Daryl hated the fact that he needed the assistance as he pushed off the edge but he needed it as he landed awkwardly on his good leg. She dropped his hand and started walking upriver. Her feet sure and steady along the sandy, rocky shore line. Daryl kept close to her, not wanting her to say anything about his leg holding them back. The sun was just over the horizon and he knew they were going to be in for a long and exhausting day.

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**Fourteen hours later**

"Have ya stopped thinkin' about what I said in the tunnel?" Daryl winced openly as she quickly tightened the cloth bandage on his gashed thigh. "I take that as a no." They had to stop because she had noticed he was bleeding through his bandage.

"You should have said something about the wound opening up. This is roamer territory, I've been here and fresh blood calls them like a dog to a whistle." She glared at him as she picked up a wet cloth to wipe at the blood that had run down his leg.

"I'm sorry but yer whole silent treatment thing ain't makin' it very easy fer open communication." Daryl looked over the river and scowled. It was getting late and they had barely made any progress it seemed. She stopped and sighed. Daryl looked down at her with a small frown.

"I'm sorry for acting like a bitch." Bree looked up at him, her eyes spelled out she wasn't really sorry at all and he felt like he deserved that as she pulled down his pant leg, finishing up getting rid of the blood that had seeped from under the bandage.

"An' I'm sorry fer actin' like a righ' prick in the tunnel." He was glad to see that she actually looked surprised at his apology. "Does this mean we have t' hug? Cause I ain't a huggin' person." A small smile twitched at the corner of her lips and she shook her head.

"No, we don't have to hug but we do have to find a place to camp for the night. I would much rather prefer walking through this part of the city but we can't do that with your leg." She stood up fully and Daryl pushed off of the rock he had been sitting on, feeling his heartbeat slightly in the gash on his right leg.

"An' where do ya figure we can do that? There ain't anythin' around but water and roamers."

"I'm sure there is a space around somewhere. I bunked down here once before but that was a few kilometers into the city." She bit her lip and Daryl was almost fascinated by the action. It wasn't that it wasn't sexy, it was but the action showed a more vulnerable side to her. In all the time he knew Bree she had never done anything like that in front of him before. The small motion showed doubt. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away from her. "I don't like this place. I think we should move on." She glanced around and Daryl stared at her with a slight bit of curiosity. She was an enigma he had yet to crack. Cold and clammed up one minute to showing an almost soft side the next. She was trusting of him one day but suspicious of everything he did the next, he wondered if it was because she was getting used to having him around.

"I had to leave because the thugs were moving in." She didn't elaborate on it but he knew what she meant. A small girl like her all alone would be an easy target for the lowest of the low.

"Cornered ya didn't they?" He narrowed his eyes at the thought of anyone trying to do such a thing to her. It was like when she took out Ben. The man had picked her up and slammed her hard. In a physical fight, she was damn near powerless. Some people might take advantage of that.

"_Tried_ to corner me. I cut one of them up pretty badly before slipping away. I may or may not have let roamers into their building just to get back at them." She had an almost mischievous look in her eyes as she said it and Daryl reached out and patted her shoulder. The action took both of them by surprise and Daryl removed his hand quickly. Swallowing hard, he felt suddenly nervous.

"Bree, ya've got sum guts. I'll give ya that." He gave her a small smirk, trying to cover up the nervousness he had just felt and she just nodded before looking towards the one bridge that spanned the width of the river. "What are ya wantin' t' do? We can't jus' stay here, we stick out like a couple fags at a biker convention." She didn't even react to his callous language, just remained in thought.

"We are going to need to cross the bridge. We are on the east side of the river and that's the only bridge we can cross. The rest further up river are all washed out." Bree turned to look at him and Daryl shrugged.

"Yer the boss. I ain't sayin' anythin'. I don't know the area. This ain't exactly forests an' farm land. If ya say the bridges are washed out further up, I believe ya." He smirked at her as she seemed almost surprised at his admission. "We jus' need t' git up there without anyone seein' us."

"Easier said than done. Last I remember there were two thug gangs in the city, each one controlling a territory. One on each side of the bridge. No one gets across the bridge without someone seeing." She scowled and Daryl pushed her shoulder slightly with his hand before walking past.

"Eh, we can do it. Be like shootin' squirrels in an acorn tree." He chuckled but her silence was almost unnerving. "Is there summin ya'd like t' say, darlin'? If not we should prolly git goin'." She looked like she was going to say something but paused.

"Spit it out, darlin', we ain't got all day." He almost smiled at her inner struggle to trust him enough to talk about it. Her eyes fascinated him to no end. They seemed to change colour, when she was angry they were more green than brown but when she smiled, actually smiled, they seemed almost golden. Right now they looked a muddy brown with her inner struggle.

"I didn't actually kill the guy who cornered me. I just cut him up a bit." She muttered it out, as if not wanting to admit to the fact she hadn't been strong enough to kill the guy like she could now. Daryl found it almost adorable in an odd sort of way. Knowing that she could kill a man without a thought but there had been a time when she had used to play with dolls and the thought of killing a man made her hesitate even if that man had tried to rape her.

"An'?" He shifted his weight and winced a bit. She sighed and looked at the ground.

"He was the leader of the gang on the other side of the bridge." She looked almost sheepish at that as she looked up at him. Daryl shook his head slightly at her.

"Oh ya jus' like t' make things difficult, don't ya?" He smirked at her and she shrugged.

"I try my best. If it had been three months after that, I would have gutted him and left him for dead without even blinking but when it came right down to it, in that moment, I was still a scared little girl." She looked extremely embarrassed and Daryl reached over and punched her arm lightly.

"We all got t' start sumwhere, darlin'." He looked towards the bridge. "We all got t' start sumwhere."

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And here it is!


	26. Chapter 25

I apologize for the super long wait but some stuff happened, well is stil happening and I completely forgot to upload. I apologize so much but here is chapter 25.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

Enjoy!

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Bree grabbed onto Daryl's wrist before he could slip back down the embankment. He nodded at her as she pulled him up onto the bridge. Her eyes ever watchful on the area, several roamers wandered the bridge and she tried to plan the route across. Daryl grunted as he pushed himself the last little bit onto the bridge.

"See? Easier than shootin' squirrels in an acorn tree." He sat on the ground panting a bit and Bree let his wrist go as she shook her arm, glad she didn't grab him with her right arm. She doubted her shoulder could have taken the strain.

"Don't count your blessings now, we still need to make it across the bridge." She looked across the bridge and winced as she thought about how dangerous it would be. They had only just managed to get through the city with the truck, this was extremely different. This was on foot, this was extremely dangerous. If they caught her, she was more than dead and if they caught Daryl with her, he wouldn't fare any better than her. She hadn't really left on good terms with the leader of the gang.

"Yer too paranoid, darlin'. We're gunna be jus' fine." Daryl punched her arm lightly and Bree just shook it off, her tension levels rising. He really didn't understand how much danger they were both in. Well that was partly her fault, she really didn't tell him all of what happened. Most of it was told but she left out of the part where the leader had told her if he ever saw her again he would rip her and everyone she was with to shreds before feeding the pieces to the roamers.

"Sometimes it helps to be paranoid." She scanned the bridge again. "I think we can get through if we stay low and move fast." Daryl managed to get to his feet and Bree looked over at him while he gestured to his leg.

"Low an' fast ain't gettin' us across this bridge, darlin'." He frowned and his eyes lit up and he smirked. "Now I got an idea, darlin', but ya ain't gunna like it." Bree felt her stomach sink as Daryl pulled out a length of rope from his pack.

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**Twenty minutes later**

"I can't believe I agreed to this. This is ridiculous. If that man gets his hands on me, you don't even want to know what he will do to me." Bree winced a bit as Daryl tightened the rope around her wrists. Her shoulder ached slightly as her arms were tied behind her back.

"Yer paranoid. That man ain't gunna do anythin' t' ya." He chuckled and Bree resisted the urge to head butt him in the face for the comment. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest. She didn't think this was a good idea.

"You don't understand, Daryl. This man tried to kill me and he was-"

"Shhhh, darlin', he ain't gunna touch ya. He'll have t' go through me first an' I ain't movin' fer nothin'. Jus' _trust_ me." He said the words right next to her ear as he tugged on the rope, making sure it was tight enough to convince the others but loose enough that she could slip out if things went wrong. Bree closed her eyes as the warm breath caressed her ear and part of cheek. She swallowed nervously, she doubted anything he could say would calm her rolling stomach.

"I don't- If you tell Merle I said any of this, I swear, Daryl, I will _end _you." Bree looked over her shoulder at him and Daryl raised an eyebrow but nodded slightly. "The things this man said he was going to do to me _before_ I destroyed his face made me want to throw up because I just _knew_ he had done them before. This man _terrifies_ me. I don't scare easy but this man- _This man_…" She couldn't find the words to finish, the terror she felt just _thinking_ of the man wouldn't come even close to the terror she would feel seeing him again. Daryl surprised her by cupping her face, his thumbs brushing her cheeks.

"Don't think about 'im, darlin', that man ain't gunna lay one finger on ya. If he tries I'll break his fuckin' legs. No one is touchin' ya but me." He gave her a wry smile. "Yer fuckin' adorable when yer scared. Yer eyes git all wide and ya git all pale. Makes me wanna laugh." Bree scowled at that and huffed.

"If you hadn't tied my hands behind my back so prettily I would punch you for that." Bree's scowl deepened when he just chuckled and patted her cheek.

"Now ya jus' need t' keep that attitude fer when I bring ya in there. Keep sum of that spark fer when the man needs a good kick t' the face." He smirked before walking ahead of her, his limp was a bit more pronounced and he waved her ahead. "We only got a few walkers on the bridge but I doubt they are gunna cause much trouble. Now yer gunna walk in front of me and fer godssake act like yer a prisoner. We ain't supposed t' act like two lil' girls at a tea party." He scowled at her as she passed him and Bree aimed a kick at his shin. He dodged it with a curse.

"You lil'-" Daryl scowled at her before his lips twitched upwards slightly. "Atta girl." He picked up the rope and pushed her shoulder slightly. Bree ignored the gesture and started walking, she kept her eyes watchful as they walked down the bridge. The roamers started towards them and Daryl pushed her shoulder, several shots rang out and the roamers dropped.

"Sounds like we've been spotted." Daryl pushed her shoulder hard enough that she stumbled. "I said _move it_ ya stupid bitch!" Bree gritted her teeth at the words, knowing they were just an act didn't make them less aggravating.

"Douchebag." She muttered the word under her breath and winced as Daryl pushed her forward again. She picked up the pace, keeping tension in the rope so he couldn't do it again. She knew if he did it again she would lay a massive beating on him. Not something the people wanted to see.

"You there. Stop." The voice came from a large wall that looked newly erected. Bree glowered slightly as Daryl tugged on her rope. Pulling her back towards him.

"I ain't stoppin'! This bitch damn near took off my leg an' I ain't givin' her another chance t' go fer my other one!" He pushed her again and Bree stumbled forward, only prevented from falling by the rope tied around her wrists

"It wasn't anything you didn't deserve. Push me again and I'll shove my boot so far up your ass you can taste rubber." She glared back at him in warning and Daryl shrugged.

"Just actin', darlin'." He smirked at her and Bree gritted her teeth as the wall got closer.

"I don't care. Stop right there." The voice started to sound worried and Daryl bit out a curse. Bree felt happy at his annoyance, it's what he got for this stupid plan and for pushing her around, literally.

"An' I could care less about what you've got t' say cause this ugly bitch is the same one who cut up the main man's face." He practically snarled it out and Bree winced as silence fell over the bridge as they reached the other side. The six foot wall almost made Bree laugh, it wouldn't keep anything out.

"How can we be sure this isn't a trick?" The man on the wall pointed a gun at them and Bree tugged against the rope Daryl had pulled too tight.

"Ya see this limp? I got a fuckin' knife jabbed int' me because this bitch decided she wanted my supplies. I ain't goin' anywhere till I git my payback." Daryl tugged the rope again, sending her stumbling into his chest. He loosened the rope around her wrists a bit and she could feel him slip something into her waistband before covering it with her shirt. Bree closed her eyes, his chest was warm and she could feel a bead of sweat roll down her neck. It was working up to be a hot evening.

"Just stay there. Let me get someone." The man ran off and Daryl held her close with the rope.

"We are getting' through this wall an' then ya are gunna break free. Ya are gunna git t' that building, I can see a fire escape. Yer gunna climb it an' yer gunna git t' safety. If ya don't I'm gunna beat the shit out of ya." His words were rushed and Bree opened her eyes as he pushed her forward and away from him.

"Let's see her face." The man returned and he had another guy with him. Bree defiantly kept her head down and Daryl grabbed her chin, forcing her face upwards.

"Ya do as I say, darlin', an' we will make it home safety." The words were muttered under his breath and Bree closed her eyes before jerking her chin out of his grasp. This had better work or she was going to kill the redneck bastard.

"That's her. Fucking bitch. Leon is going to just love this." The second blonde man seemed to be sickly enjoying the situation and he waved his hand over his head. "Open the gate." Bree stared straight ahead and Daryl pushed her forward again. Her heart started pounding hard in her chest as they walked through the makeshift gate that Bree found unintentionally hilarious. It was flimsy and didn't look like it could hold up against a horde of zombies. Daryl pushed her shoulder again and Bree ignored it and shifted her wrists, filling with relief as she could easily move them.

"If you don't mind handing her over for us to take to the prison block. Leon is going to want to meet you. We've been looking for this sweet little piece of pie for simply _ages_." A blond man reached out to touch her face and Bree jerked her face away from his reaching hand. He smirked. "You aren't so tough now are you, sweet lips? I can't wait till Leon sees your pretty little face again, although it won't be so pretty when he gets through with it." Bree resisted the urge to spit on his face.

"I really did a number on him, didn't I? I ruined what he believed to be a perfect ten. What's he now? A two?" She smirked even when the man's face fell into anger. His face turned red and he gesture to some guys who were standing on guard.

"Get this fucking bitch out of my sight." He motioned them forward and Bree watched them as she twisted her hands, making the rope seem tight around her wrists.

"It was nice to see you again. Too bad I won't be staying long." She winked at the blonde man as two men walked over to grab her rope from Daryl.

"Ah shut yer mouth. I caught ya an' if ya could have escaped, ya dumb bitch, ya would have." Daryl's voice was clipped and Bree resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yup. You caught me fair and square, although I never remember tying up a sleeping woman as being fair." She looked over her shoulder as Daryl passed off the rope and he stared at her evenly.

"Wasn't fair when ya took my supplies then stabbed me in the leg so I couldn't catch ya either. Fair's, fair, suga tits." He looked at her and Bree gave a small smile.

"All is fair in love and war, redneck." She winced as she was shoved forward by one of the guys, her head moving to face forwards. She refused to let herself look back as she was being shoved forward. They didn't even look at her wrists and Bree felt a bit smug that they were that dull-witted not to expect anything from her. She noticed the building that Daryl had told her about. The fire escape went up two flights before a giant hole in the wall stopped the ascent short. All she had to do was get into the building and run. After that, she had to make sure to get a plan to get Daryl out of the area. That was going to be her toughest job yet. She bit her lip and let her wrists relax before slipping her hand out of the ropes quickly. She grabbed onto the rough cord and wrapped it around the man's wrist who was holding the other end. The other man reached for her and Bree wrapped the roped around his wrist as well before doing a quick looping knot around the first man's waist. Securing the two men together.

The entire situation happened almost instantly and Bree grabbed one man's knife and gun before pushing them over and bolting for the building. She could hear the others shouting but she ignored it as she ran for the fire escape. Thankfully the ladder was down and she scrambled up the metal rungs and then dashed up the stair cases before ducking into the hole. Bullets hit the brick around her and she saw her escape before taking it.

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There we are! Now Daryl is stuck with them, uh oh!


	27. Chapter 26

Sorry about the wait, yet again. I had a good reason. I was getting ready for a multiple disciplinary assessment for my shoulder but that is done and over with so I am good. For a bit at least.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Daryl watched her escape and reacted as he knew he should. He ran after her, as if trying to stop her but his mind spit out pride for the small woman. She had done that quicker than he thought she would and he was impressed. He reached the two men who Bree had tied up quite efficiently and he scowled at them darkly.

"Ain't a fuckin' brain cell between y'all! Ya never checked the rope! I had that bitch for four days and I always checked her rope. She managed to loosen it every single time, yet y'all are too stupid to check it?" Daryl kick the one man and spit on the ground beside him, half for show and half for the nasty shove he had given Bree. "I had her fer four days an' y'all had her for thirty seconds an' ya fucked it up! Two weeks I spent searchin' fer that bitch an' ya fucked it up." Daryl turned to look at the blonde man who looked madder than Daryl could have ever imagined. He resisted the urge to appear joyful at the man's rage. He pointed a finger at him and walked towards him, wincing at the pull of his wound.

"What kind of bullshit is this? I handed her t' ya in good faith an' yer men practically cut her binds for her!" Daryl shook his head in disgust and the man looked at him.

"I am sorry about that. These worthless pieces of shit are going to be neutralized. You are right, this was an error of judgement on my part. I should have been the one escorting her." The blond man gritted his teeth noticeably and Daryl shook his head and spit on the ground again.

"Damn right ya should'uv been. I can't fuckin' believe it. Two weeks down the drain. I wanted t' watch that lil' bitch pay." He shook his head and the blonde man hung his head, grabbing his dirty hair in frustration.

"I did too. She's an impressive specimen. Not pretty like some of my ladies but she has spirit, fire, _passion_. She would have been a trophy but after what she did…. Well, nothing good was going to come of her next visit." A hand touched Daryl's shoulder and he whirled around, a brown haired man looked at him through his one good eye. He looked to be asian in descent but his skin was more tan than anything. Three diagonal scars ran across the left side of his face, destroying his eye and one ran in the opposite direction, across his nose. "I'm Leon. You have met my newly demoted right hand, Bradley." He held out his hand and Daryl stared at him.

"An' I thought my leg was bad. That little bitch got ya good." Daryl took the extended hand, wanting nothing more than to give him matching scars on the right side of his face for what he tried to do to Bree. He didn't know why the thought angered him so much but the thought of anyone trying to hurt the small woman was like the thought of anyone trying to hurt Judith. Rage inducing.

"She did. I underestimated her. Please, do not call her a bitch, she is a formidable opponent. It demands respect." The man could have been handsome before Bree had sliced him up but his face was cold, as if he felt nothing at all. Daryl felt like the man gave him the creepy crawlies. As if he could easily slit his throat and continue eating his dinner if he said the wrong words.

"She's a coward. Snuck up on me t' steal my supplies before stabbin' me in the leg t' keep me from followin'." Daryl patted his hurt leg and gave a humourless smirk. It was almost fun to lie about these things and he was surprised he could do it so easily. He had always been bluntly honest.

"Formidable. It took guts to get her as close as she did and even more intelligence for her to realize that if she took out your leg that you would have difficulties following her." Leon nodded at him. "But you managed to catch her regardless. You must tell this tale to me over supper. Please, follow me... I never caught your name." He looked at him with cool expectation and Daryl gave him an even, neutral look in return.

"Carl. My name's Carl." It was close enough to his real name to be right and whenever the name was invoked he knew he would instantly look up to see who was calling. Remnants from Lori, that stupid mother never had any clue to what her son was doing at any given time. It was frustrating really.

"Well… Carl. Please, join me for supper." He man walked elegantly towards a close building and Daryl had a feeling he might be batting for the other team. No straight man walked like that. Leon froze and Daryl stopped, not wanting to bump into the man. "I am forgetting something. Oh yes. Bradley, please slit their worthless throats. They ruined Carl's hard work and let my treasure get lost. They no longer deserve to breathe the same air as I do." The smile he had on his face after he said it made the hair on the back of Daryl's neck stand up. That was just cold.

"Does that offend you in anyway, Carl?" Leon looked at him and Daryl shrugged.

"If I had an issue with it. I would of said sumthin' about it. I ain't sayin' nothing'. As ya said, they ruined my hard work. I ain't impressed with 'em an' more importantly. I don't know 'em." Daryl could really care less, these men were the lowest of the low. They raped and they murdered. The whole lot of them deserved to be fed to walkers.

"You, I like you. Now that, that is out of the way. Our supper awaits." He gestured to the building and Daryl nodded slightly. He really needed to stay off this man's bad side. He was positive the man was a sociopath.

"Good cause I had drug that woman halfway across the city an' food is mighty scarce." He followed Leon, who nodded as if understanding.

"I completely understand. Not much left around the city anymore. After we took the eastern side of the river we pretty much picked it clean." He opened the door to the building and waved Daryl in who stepped into the dimly lit building. He could smell stew and his stomach growled slightly. "We mainly use what we liberate from others and what we can catch in our traps. You aren't opposed to eating cat or dog are you?" Daryl got the distinct impression it wasn't really a question.

"Nope. Used t' eatin' shit others would turn their backs on if they were starvin'." He really didn't have an issue with eating what was available. He used to live off what he caught and he didn't find anything wrong with catching what you could when your life was in the balance.

"Good. Now take a seat and tell me how you caught her, my little rabbit." The man seemed almost deliriously excited and Daryl sat down in the offered arm chair.

"Not much t' say. I stumbled over her, really. Was trackin' her an' she was livin' in a sewer pipe ten miles downriver. Found her sleepin' an' tied her up. Told her I was takin' her t' ya. She put up quite a bit of fight at first but then jus' settled. As if realizin' I wasn't givin' her up." He shrugged and fidgeted, not liking being stuck indoors with the sociopath.

"What else? Did you manage to _get_ her?" The words were even but Daryl got their meaning all too clearly. The thought made him want to strangle the man for assuming something so horrid. Almost hoping that Daryl had done something like that to her.

"Nah, she ain't my type. I go fer the prettier broads. The ones with the biggest asses you will find on this side of the border. As you may know, she's skinny. Far from my type, man." He scratched his nose and went back to fidgeting with his hand. His thumb brushed over the ragged ends of his fingernails.

"Pickers can't be choosers out here. Not many broads left." Leon stared at him and Daryl avoided his gaze, not wanting the man to see his utter hatred for him. He forced himself to chuckled light heartedly.

"I git that but I didn't trust her t' try an' escape when I was tryin' t' git my… business done. I spent all hours of the day watchin' her. I wasn't lettin' her git away if my life depended on it."

"Now I never thought of that. You are right, it is quite a distraction and my little rabbit loves taking people by surprise." He touched the scars on his face as if reminiscing and Daryl nodded.

"She's proven that much. She was a handful t' deal with. It's a shame she got away." He resisted the urge to smile. She had gotten away so quickly that he was really impressed with her. He had known she had talents but he wasn't aware that expert escape artist had been one of them.

"It is but I would have been disappointed if she gave up without a fight. She is a unique creature. Not pretty like some but the way her eyes seemed to change colour when she realized what I was goi-" The man cut himself off and coughed. Daryl hid a grimace and flexed his hand. "Sorry, I am rambling. I am sure dinner is ready and then you shall get your reward." He gave Daryl a small, cold smile and Daryl stared at him before giving a small nod. This didn't bode well.

* * *

**An hour later**

"So any of them strike your fancy? These are my best stock. Usually only reserved for me." Leon gestured at the room full of pale and terrified women. Bruises marred their skin and Daryl felt his stomach clench. "Think of this as your reward, Carl. For bringing my little rabbit as far as you did. She would have been put here with the others. The prize gem of my collection. As you can see, some of the others are much more beautiful but she has her spirit and that makes her so much more valuable." He felt extremely uncomfortable having the women look at him as if he were the most terrifying thing in the world. He had never had anyone stare at that that he hadn't actually done anything too.

"So what would you do to her once her spirit was broken?" He almost didn't want to hear the answer. He wasn't sure he would be able to handle it if the man said anything about Bree in that manner. He could already feel his muscles tensing and his blood pounding in his ears.

"Give her to the men. Once her spirit broke, she would no longer have what I desire most and she would be no different than the stock I have for the men. She would no longer be special." Leon looked at him and Daryl forced his face to relax. "Do you disagree? You look like you are disagreeing with me." He could have kicked himself that he had seemed that obvious.

"She is unique but t' give her t' the men?" Daryl shook his head. "She's not sumthin' t' be shared an' I think ya know it too." He stared at the man as he seemed to ponder it and he nodded slowly. Daryl had a sick feeling that the man was psychotically obsessed with Bree. As if her carving up his face had made the man fixate on the one woman who had gotten the better of him in such a way.

"You are right. After everything, I doubt I would be able to part with her or let anyone else touch her." He let out what seemed to be a wistful sigh. "I had her here, eight months ago, I had her in this very room and when I brought her out to look her over she showed me just what she was made of. Then she showed me mercy when I deserved none. She had a chance to drive a knife through my heart and she looked at me with her wide eyes. I knew she was going to let me live. I never even got to know her name." He stared at Daryl thoughtfully who shook his head.

"Don't look at me. She wasn't tellin' me a thing. Too busy glarin' at me fer tyin' her up." Daryl ran his hand through his dirty hair. "I ain't really in the mood fer chasin' one of yer cats. I will however take up any job ya have available till I have t' git back out there an' find her." Leon looked surprised and gestured to the terrified women who had huddled into the furthest corner.

"Are you positive you don't want any of them? They are the finest quality stock we could find. Our little community runs on this as payment. If you don't take one, you aren't getting paid for what you did." His scarred face twisted and Daryl assumed he was almost confused.

"Positive. I ain't feelin' it. After all I didn't deliver the goods the full distance." That and Daryl preferred his women to be willing rather than scared stiff. He didn't want to insult the man but also didn't want to do anything he would regret for the rest of his life.

"That wasn't your fault. You can still have one, I am impressed you got as close as you did." Leon gestured at the women almost angrily and Daryl could see them wince as if expecting him to hit them.

"It's a matter of pride. I ain't getting' paid fer a job that was only half done. I am more than happy t' take on another job t' earn my right t' one of yer beautiful ladies." He turned his back on the bruised faces and Leon seemed to relax at the compliment and opened the door for Daryl to pass through.

"An honest man. Not many of you around. I can respect that. I do have a small job you can do." He followed after him and Daryl could hear him locking the door. "Something easy, to get you off of your leg, let it heal." He nodded and waited for Leon to lead the way.

"A few days of that and you will have completely earned your right to one of my ladies, in your opinion that is." He grabbed Daryl's shoulder in a friendly gesture and Daryl resisted the urge to shake the hand off. Even being near the man made his skin crawl. "Now those two boys who fucked up my night were the prisoner watch." Daryl scoffed at the idea.

"You could'uv chosen better men for that job." He chuckled a bit and wasn't surprised when Leon didn't follow his lead. The cold man walked down the stairs and Daryl followed after him. Wincing every time he put weight on his right leg.

"I know, which is why I am giving the job to you. You managed to keep my little rabbit in a cage for four days now any man who can manage that can definitely handle a prisoner with a busted leg." Leon's voice was cold as he pushed open the door to the outside. "You'll get used to the layout. We have two square blocks barricaded off. Half of the buildings aren't secure enough for anything other than hang outs for the rest of the guys. We were lucky enough to get a police station in our home territory so that is where the prisoner is." Leon just seemed to be rambling as they walked through the noisy streets. Men yelled and fought in the streets and Daryl found the entire area to be filled with chaos but given the type of men that were housed there it wasn't surprising.

"Here we are, Carl." Leon gestured to a small square building and opened the door. "He shouldn't be much trouble. Came here looking for his sister and let out my girls. Three of them died when we retrieved them. He got his leg broke and a death sentence for that alone. He's sneaky, watch out for him. The key is hanging up here." He pointed to a large key ring with a single key on it.

"You will only use it once and that is when the bastard is taken out to be publicly executed." Leon looked like he took sick pleasure from the thought and a small smile crossed his face as he said it. Daryl just nodded. "Other than that, you should be fine. He can't put up much of a fight, broken leg and has been roughed up a bit." With that Leon left and Daryl went to the cell where the prisoner had to be and was surprised to see the man tying metal bars onto his left leg as if he were splinting it. He was using scraps of what looked to be his torn open cot mattress to tie the metal poles to his leg to stabilize the break.

"Wood works better an' it should be under yer pants." Daryl drawled it out and the man glared up at him, his face was partially covered by a scraggly beard and his hair was long and looked to have not seen a shower in months.

"Are you going to take these away like they did my last ones? They broke my leg three days ago and no one has been kind enough to splint the dam thing." He glared at Daryl who shrugged.

"They're gunna kill ya, so fixin' a broken leg seems like a tiny detail really." He looked harder at the unfortunate man who seemed to be on the receiving end of Leon's cold anger.

"If they had any humanity left they would splint my leg." The man winced as he tightened the second strip of fabric and Daryl wince along with him, knowing that the splint would never hold and it would need to be redone.

"They ain't human so they ain't got any humanity. Luckily, I've got jus' a bit left an' I'll split yer leg for ya." He turned his back on the man, hoping to find the right tools for the job.

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Alright! I hope this is well worth the wait.


	28. Chapter 27

Alright folks, here we are again! Ooooooh this is a good one! I really need to finish up the story. (I've written ahead like ten chapters and am having a tough time figuring out how to end the story. :/ First world problems at its best.)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

Enjoy!

* * *

Bree had thought over her plan and had decided she was fucking insane but Daryl had pulled off an insane plan and it had worked so she hoped her even more insane plan would work just as nicely. She gripped the knife that Daryl had passed her before they went into the small compound, the weapons she had taken from the two idiot guards had been useless, mainly for show it appeared and she had tossed them away in disgust. A roamer walked close and Bree stood up and stabbed the knife into the back of its head and quickly pulled it into her hiding spot. She looked around before pulling off the roamer's torn up dress shirt and putting the stinking fabric over hers. She did the same for the pants before slicing into the rotting flesh and trying not to gag. She rubbed the oozing, rotting insides over the shirt and pants thoroughly before standing up. She slowly made her way towards a group of roamers. She kicked at a piece of metal lying on the asphalt and the sound it made caused her wince. The roamers startled and looked up. Bree waved her arms and jumped up and down.

"Oh shit." She ran in the opposite direction as the roamers started doing a jogging lumber towards her. She hid behind a corner and waited till several roamers passed her before she joined the group. Her heart pounded as several roamers looked at her as she did shuffling steps to make it to the front of the herd. She let out a small sigh of relief when they did nothing but ignore her. She knew the roamers acted like sheep on some things, where a few went, they all followed and it was her insane plan to create a rather large herd. The walls surrounding their small area were flimsy in some areas. Flimsy enough to let roamers in if there were enough. Bree let out a large groan and increased the pace of her shuffling. The few roamers around her did the same and she could feel the shift in speed throughout the small herd and the roamers hanging out in the side streets.

Roamers were curious creatures and Bree used that to her advantage as she took the unseen route towards the small compound. Last time she had only let ten or twenty roamers into their camp but this time she was planning on letting in more than quadruple that number. She increased her speed, as if creating a sense of urgency to the roamers around her and they all shifted pace again. To their simple minds and instincts, the faster they moved the closer food was. If they were moving faster, food was within grasp and she discovered this with a small laugh she quickly turned into a moaning growl. The small alley that had the weakest wall was coming into view and Bree could hear the men on the other side shouting and fighting. The roamers heard it too and the pace increased without her pressuring. She was soon doing a shuffling jog to stay in the front of the rather large herd of roamers as they got bottle necked into the alley. The tin wall was held up by two-by-fours and all Bree had to do was climb over the wall and knock them over.

The force behind her was massive and she felt like she was no longer leading but being pushed from behind. She reached out with her hand and grabbed an edge of the tin and pulling it part of the way off before slipping inside before the force of the roamers hitting the flimsy wall pinned it back into place. She had just managed to get her hand through when the massive herd hit the wall. It creaked and groaned but it held steady and Bree looked at the supports before dislodging the first one from the dirt. She moved quickly as she pushed out a second and third.

"We've got a creeper in the walls!" The voice was panicked and she knew that it was now or never and she pushed over the second last support. The wall groaned and then fell silent Bree felt her heart pound as with a large crash, the wall fell over. She let out a small sigh of relief and amusement at how it must have looked to the now scrambling men as roamers pushed past her. Coming over to deal with one single roamer only to encounter your defenses breached and close to a hundred roamers pouring into the open hole that now lay in your so carefully constructed wall. She could hear the men screaming and guns firing but really couldn't feel much pity for them, these men were murderers and rapists. Bree started towards the leader's main housing, where she had been held captive all those months ago. She kept up the act of walking like a roamer as to not alert the suspicion of the roamers around her. Vehicles roared to life and she turned her head to the sound. Men were getting in and then she saw him. His scarred face was different than she remembered but the last time she had seen him she was dragging a blade through his flesh and his face was covered in blood. Her heart felt like it had stopped in her chest as he locked his eye onto hers. She turned her head and did the head motions of the roamers around her.

"No!" It was furious and she could hear gun shots getting closer to her. She started shuffling away but when the next gunshot dropped the roamer right next to her she turned around to face the scarred man. He looked at her and she was surprised to see he looked absolutely devastated. "This isn't how it was supposed to end. You were supposed to be strong but they got you. My little rabbit, bitten by creepers." He went to touch her face but she grabbed his wrist and stared at him as she stepped closer. His eye went wide in realization.

"My little rabbit is alive." He grabbed her face with his other hand and Bree resisted the urge to pull away from his touch. It left her feeling gross and it made her skin crawl.

"Yah but you aren't." She stabbed her knife into his stomach much like she had done with Ben and drew the blade through his flesh. The scent of fresh blood called roamers to them and she let the knife and the shocked man go as roamers descended on him from all sides. It was almost creepy how he didn't make a single sound as he was eaten alive. She wiped his blood off on her pants and despite the fresh blood she now had on her the roamers left her alone. Too many meals to eat and blood covered all of them now. Bree looked towards the buildings, she needed to find Daryl quickly because those few men who were being pulled from the trucks wouldn't feed the roamers for long.

There was a locked room full of women in the leader's house but she knew the girls wouldn't want to leave. They had been beaten so badly that they no longer considered escape. The only other place was a jail, if Daryl had failed in convincing them that he was who he said he was. Bree circled, trying to remember where they had the jail the last time she had been there. She couldn't remember and she shuffled towards the nearest building.

* * *

**Fifteen minutes later**

Bree cursed herself soundly. Of course they had a police station and of course it would be the last building she checked. If Daryl wasn't in here she didn't know what she would do. She pushed open the station door and a rough hand grabbed her throat and she could see the other getting ready to stab her.

"No!" She knocked the descending hand away and pushed the person away before quickly taking off the roamer's shirt. "It's a disguise! Jesus Christ!" Strong arms wrapped around her and held her tight for a mere moment before pulling back.

"Jesus, darlin', I nearly put a fuckin' knife in yer brain." Daryl shook his head at her and Bree shrugged. "A little warnin' next time would be mighty white of ya." She rolled her eyes and closed the door before locking it.

"Sorry, I just organized a bunch of roamers into attacking this shitty little compound to break you out. I think a 'thank you' is in order. Seriously. I'm immune so I can pull shit like this." She gave a small smile and pulled off the disgusting rotten blood covered pants. Daryl covered his nose for a second.

"That smells like rancid dog shit." He shook his head and stepped back a bit.

"Thank you. The roamers seem to enjoy the smell. I am so fucking glad it is summer because if it was in winter they would be popsicles and I wouldn't have been able to do this type of stuff." She kicked the clothes away and Daryl just shook his head at her.

"How are we supposed t' git out of here? Ya kinda led a bunch of walkers here t' jus' snack on people." Daryl looked frustrated and Bree rolled her eyes before walking past him. She went further into the station, looking for weapons or ammo of any kind. She could hear him following her and she only stopped when he grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. "Darlin', this ain't a game. I ain't immune an' we got a broken legged person in here who need t' come with us."

"I'm going to get a truck and you are going to be waiting for me right by that door." She pointed at the door she walked in through. "Now we just need to find some weapons and we are good to go. I lost my knife gutting that scar faced bastard."

"His name was Leon and good, he was completely messin' with my zen. Creeped me out t' be honest." Daryl looked disturbed and Bree felt for him. He had to play nice with the man and that must have been slightly trauma inducing.

"I feel for you, I really do but I need to find some weapons and get that truck over here before their snack fest ends." Bree turned around but Daryl grabbed her shoulder again, she looked at him and he shook his head, a frown creasing his forehead.

"Ain't anythin' in here. They picked it clean." He shook his head again and she cursed softly.

"Looks like I have to play this thing like a roamer. Jesus, that smell is never going to come out." She headed back to where she had discarded the foul smelling clothes. "Be ready to leave as soon as you hear a vehicle outside of that door." She turned to look at him and Daryl nodded slowly.

"We'll be ready, darlin', an' ya better come be there. Five minutes. That's all I'm givin' ya before I come lookin'." His face was completely serious and Bree gave a small nod as she slipped into the too large pants and slipping on the ratty dress shirt. The smell made her eyes water but she opened the door and slipped out. A few roamers looked at her and she just shuffled forwards with a groan. They looked away and Bree could hear several vehicles running still but there was complete silence other than the sound of bodies being ripped apart. She shuffled towards the nearest truck and noticed two vehicles of guys had escaped. How many to a vehicle she didn't know but with how many piles of roamers grasping at flesh, it couldn't have been too many.

Several gunshots startled her and she realized in stark horror that it came from the women's jail room. They had taken the easiest route and Bree knew it was the only way they could be free from Leon and the memories of him. A dozen or so roamers started banging on the building's door and she turned herself towards the closest truck. Once close enough she quickly shed the rancid clothing and jumped into the truck before the roamers could tell that she wasn't one of them. She was happy to see that the half ton truck was automatic and she shifted into drive and drove the truck to the front of the police station and backed the end of the truck towards the door. She tapped on the steering wheel in agitation as the unoccupied roamers started towards the vehicle.

"Hurry up, Daryl!" She looked into the rear view mirror and relief flooded her as the door opened. She watched the approaching roamers and her finger beat went faster. She could hear Daryl cursing and he cussed loudly before getting into the truck with some difficulty.

"Git out of here, darlin'!" His voice sounded pained and she wondered if he had torn his wound open again but she did as he said. The back gate to the compound was open and she drove out of it quickly as if the devil were in her rear view mirror.

It took them ten minutes to reach the edge of the city but Daryl remained in a perpetual state of silence. Bree glanced over at him.

"Are you okay, Daryl?" She glanced between the road and him and then back again. He looked pale in the quickly darkening light.

"No, darlin', I went an' got myself bit."

* * *

Bwahahahahahahahahahaha! And there I shall leave you!


	29. Chapter 28

And here it is! The long awaited update! You are going to like this chapter, I just know it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

* * *

Daryl couldn't believe it, he had let himself get comfortable, to relax and he got himself bit for it and it was one agonizing lesson. Bree slowed the truck down.

"Shit, Daryl! We have to do something about it. Where were you bit?" She reached over towards him and he waved her away.

"Jus' go, darlin'. Git further from this blasted city an' then we are gunna deal with it." He felt his pulse beat in his right shoulder where the walker had managed to sink his teeth into him. The bastard had come from behind and Daryl did the first thing he could and punched the walker in its rotting face. There wasn't any time to really realize what had happened as he had his mind on getting his prison buddy into the back of the truck and getting out of the compound.

"Are you sure?" Her voice sounded concerned and Daryl just nodded, gritting his teeth against the agonizing feeling of the bite pulsing on his shoulder. He felt her drive faster and he hoped the guy in the back was alright, the road wasn't exactly the smoothest in the world. He coughed and Bree gave him a glance sharp with worry.

"I'm fine, darlin', jus' git us sumwhere safe." He closed his eyes and breathed, not wanting to focus on the pain directly. It took another half an hour before Daryl was willing to let Bree stop, by then he was feeling a bit warm. It was a treed in area and Daryl winced as the truck came to a full stop and Bree put it into park. The right side of his shirt was soaked with blood and it was soaking into the seat as well.

"I need a knife, Daryl. Do you have one?" She had crawled across the seat towards him and he gave a painful nod before tapping his front pocket. Her fingers dug it out and Daryl watched as she straddled his lap and flicked open the sharp pocket knife. She grabbed the blade and he wanted to stop her as she jerked the knife from her closed fist. He could see blood dripping from her fist and he tilted his head to the left.

"My shoulder." The words were gritted out and he closed his eyes as Bree pressed her freshly cut hand to the wound. She applied a tear inducing pressure to the wound and Daryl wanted to push her away for that alone. "Jesus, darlin', take it easy." Sweat dotted his brow and she muttered a few choice words under her breath as he felt her touch his forehead.

"You are burning up. Let's hope this works. We are going to build a campfire and I have no clue where our packs are." Her voice trailed off and Daryl touched her face with his left hand. She looked at him with a worried expression and it felt nice having someone worry about him.

"In the back of the truck, darlin', I really hate thinkin' of everythin'." He winced openly as she removed her grip on his shoulder and pushed the door open. She was back within a few seconds, digging through her pack. She pulled out the medical supplies he had stolen from the police station and climbed into the truck. She straddled his lap once again and opened a packet of large gauze squares. She wiped her bleeding hand on her pants with a wince and Daryl watched in utter fascination as she squeezed it into a tight fist, bleeding onto the white fabric.

"Don't look at me like that. I have to make sure the proteins and cells are transferred." She pressed it to his shoulder and Daryl winced as she pushed down hard. He could hear her rummaging through the pack with her free hand and then he could hear the sound of medical tape being pulled from the roll. The pressure from her hand increased as she started pulling the gauze tight over his bite wound. It took her only a few seconds to tape it before her hands were on his face pulling forwards a bit. He frowned at her, he could feel her blood warm blood seeping out onto his skin from her cut hand and he was kind of wary of what she was doing.

"What the he-" Bree kissed him, her tongue slid along his unexpectedly and Daryl sat in shock, temporarily forgetting the issue at hand as she pulled back. "What the hell, darlin'?"

"Oral culture transfer. Making double sure you aren't going to turn into a mindless beast on me." She pushed the door open and she slipped into the dark. Daryl felt his face flare red. He hadn't thought in a million years that Bree would do that. It made sense but he didn't think she would actually consider doing that. She was back and she startled him slightly, his fever was getting worse and he was feeling woozy. "You need to get your pal out of the back of the truck and to the fire. After that you are going to sit beside the fire under your blanket. This fever is going to be a doozy." She reached up and Daryl took her helping hands without a word. Bree backed off and Daryl walked along the side of the truck and used his left arm to lower the tailgate.

"You okay in there? She didn't kill ya with her drivin', did she?" He watched as the prisoner sat up. Touching his hand to the makeshift cast Daryl had put on it with the mattress batting, some old wooden police tape slats, and duct tape.

"She's an alright driver. I'm alright and my leg no longer hurts thanks to you. Where are we?" The man slid towards the tailgate and Daryl shrugged, feeling the bite mark pulse with his heart beat but the pressure on it helped with some of the pain. He helped the man stand on the ground before letting him wrap his arm around his neck and walking him towards the small fire Bree had built. "You are running a bit warm there, friend. You okay?" Daryl just nodded as he helped the wild haired man sit down by the fire before taking a spot on the opposite side, his head feeling incredibly light. He leaned on his good arm, unsure if he could sit up straight without the world tilting. Bree threw another bunch of sticks on the fire before quietly coming over. She pulled the blankets from the pack and placed one on him. Daryl didn't want the fabric on his skin but he wrapped it around himself anyway and laid his head on the pack Bree shoved at him with her foot.

"Here." It was Bree and Daryl cracked his eyes open to see her passing her blanket over to the stranger. Daryl shook his head slightly and closed his eyes. He jumped slightly when Bree sat down beside him. She just shook her head and he rubbed at his sweaty forehead and he prayed to the god he no longer believed in that he would wake up to see her face and not see her as some food. Her cool hand ran over his forehead and Daryl felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, the dizziness dragging him downwards into a never ending spiral of darkness.

* * *

Daryl woke up to the sun high in the over cast sky. A small warm body was curled up next to him and he sat up, wincing at the pulling of the bite wound on his shoulder. Obviously her blood and oral cultural transfers worked and he was still very much human. He reached over and shook her shoulder. She sat up instantly and looked at him with wide eyes before visibly relaxing. It looked like they had been sharing a blanket during the night. She did give hers to the other guy. Daryl glanced over the cold fire pit to where the man was lying with his back turned to them.

"I don't think I would have had it in me to put a stick into your skull." Her words were oddly quiet and Daryl looked at her as she rubbed her forehead. Her braid was a complete mess and his eyebrow rose slightly.

"That's the sweetes' thing ya have ever said t' me, darlin'." He smirked at her as she punched his arm lightly. She stood up completely and Daryl rubbed at his eyes, they felt almost dried out and he was incredibly thirsty.

"I have to get more sticks to restart the fire." Bree hurried away and Daryl stood up, shaking out the blanket before shoving it back into the pack. He needed to find a place where he could get a drink. It almost looked like Bree had brought them to a campsite as several log building shells stood in a relatively clear area. Daryl headed towards the largest building, hoping that there was running water. He found the rusty valve and turned it. Brown water sputtered out of it and he let it run, waiting for it to turn clean. A plastic bucket was put under the spout and Daryl looked over at Bree who looked up at him with tired eyes. In fact she just looked exhausted.

"You ain't lookin' so hot, darlin'." He watched her carefully and she shrugged before picking up the half full bucket and throwing the dirty water away from their feet. She placed the bucket back in the same spot and Daryl waited for her reply.

"I had a long night." She rubbed at her neck and kept her eyes on the running water. Daryl didn't let his gaze wander and she looked at him suddenly. "You scared the shit out of me. You _stopped breathing_. You stopped breathing and I thought I was going to have to kill you. I didn't want to have to do that. Not to you." Her eyes were the perfect mixture of green and brown and Daryl was taken aback at her rather emotional response to his almost demise.

"I take it I started breathin' again." He inhaled to make the point and she nodded slowly. Daryl shook his head slightly. He could understand. "No need t' worry, darlin'." He pushed the bucket over with his foot and liked the sight of the now clear water running onto the ground.

"Yes there was, Daryl, because you are all I have left right now." Her words were almost fiery and Daryl stopped in picking up the bucket. "I don't have Merle, I don't have my mother, I don't have the fucking walls to keep me safe. All I have left in this world in this pathetic little moment is you and I nearly lost you too." The words were damn near heart wrenching and Daryl stood up straight, forgetting about the bucket. He grabbed Bree by her shoulders.

"Ya didn't. I am here, right now. Don't think about such things." He watched as she shook her head. He felt a strange tightening in his chest and he saw her in a completely new light.

"But I could have. I _could have_." Her eyes looked at him with such worry that Daryl realized what it was that was so different. She had let him in, she had let him into that shell that even Merle couldn't break. The little woman _cared_ about him. Daryl grasped her chin and kissed her. He wasn't sure why he did but the moment felt right, like the universe had aligned to show him what was going on right in front of him. He dropped one hand to her waist and pulled her closer. Her hands clutched at his blood stained shirt and he shifted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss.

Bree was meant to be a Dixon and now Daryl knew how that was supposed to come about and it wasn't Merle's brotherly affection. He pulled away and Bree's eyes shot open and she stared at him in utter confusion.

"What was that?" Her voice sounded breathy and a bit wobbly and Daryl smirked. There was a reason he hated the thought of anything happening to her and that was because he had grown fond of her, cared for her. It was as big of a surprise to him as it was to her. Not love, he wasn't even sure he was capable but caring, he knew he could care.

"Oral culture transfer, just makin' double sure." He drawled the words and her eyes narrowed. "That an' makin' yah stop goin' all depressed on me. A dream can't do that t' yah, darlin'. I'm still alive." She stopped at that and Daryl watched as she seemed to ponder that before looking at him. She seemed to take him all in, as if committing him to memory.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." He gestured at himself and she shook her head.

"I'm just thinking. How long will that guy be with us? Because as long as he is in camp, I can't sleep under your blanket anymore." She looked at him and Daryl immediately got her meaning, his face tinged a bit pink but he smirked.

"As long as ya are willin' t' brin' 'im." Daryl turned to look at the now muddy ground. He gave a little curse before picking up the bucket and filling it with water. Bree reached over and shut off the tap. "Ya ain't shy about this. That's strange." He didn't really understand it but she seemed like the type of person who should be shy about anything sexual.

"I'm twenty eight years old. I think I have deserved the right to be open about my sexuality. For godssake the world has all but ended. I think I should be allowed to break a few cultural stereotypes. Besides I did the shy, virginal thing. It sucked. I hated it." She looked up at him and Daryl had to admit she had a point. "If I want sex, I am going to go out and say it." His face went a faint shade of pink and he had to smirk widely at the interesting creature he had just seemingly discovered.

"That's my girl." He let himself smile at her and she took the bucket from him with a small smile of her own dancing on the edges of her oh so soft lips.

* * *

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Their first kiss! The oral culture transfer the night before doesn't really count but yay!


	30. Chapter 29

Here we are, another chapter. Still trying to figure out how to end it but I'm sure I will find out a good way.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Bree carried the bucket back into camp thinking about what had just happened. Daryl had kissed her and she basically said she wanted to have sex with him and that wasn't a lie, she did but she wanted to know when their dynamic had changed. When she had started thinking about him like that. Obviously it was last night when she had allowed herself to actually care for him. Those thirty seconds where he had stopped breathing and she had done a rather poor attempt at CPR, all she could think about was how she didn't want to lose him. She didn't want to have to end him forever. She knew she just wouldn't have what it takes to kill someone she cared about.

He caught up to her and they didn't say anything as they walked into their small makeshift campsite and Daryl turned to the fire while Bree opened the second pack and pulled out their small pot she had managed to scavenge two weeks ago. She dipped it into the bucket and set it into the now steadily glowing coals. They had no weapons but the pocket knife Daryl had and Bree missed her bow.

"Could you watch that?" She pointed at the small pot and Daryl just gave a small grunt in acknowledgement as she stood up. The trees were clustered and Bree was going to try her best to find an ash tree. It was a good wood to make a bow out of and if she was lucky there could be some cypress or willow around for some nice arrows. She stared into the trees, her eyes ever watchful for the tree's shape and the specific leaves.

She had spent enough time in her last stint outside of the walls to understand what was what in regards to plants. That and she had been taught and self-taught such things. She had read read book upon book about the different species native to Canada and her brothers were always helpful in putting the knowledge to use. She couldn't count the number of days they had spent camping outside, studying the plant life and learning how to survive with little to nothing.

Bree had survived and practiced every bit of information her brothers had shown her and the information she had found herself. She had no doubt in her mind that is what saved her ass when she first ran away. She had no clue about what was going on outside of the walls when she had run off and it kicked her in the ass repeatedly until she bucked up and pushed herself forward. Until she had pulled that information and training out and used it.

* * *

**An hour later**

Bree was tired and frustrated. There were no ash trees around, she had found a few willows and snagged a few nicely shaped sticks off of them for some arrows. She had collected a few owl feathers that had fallen onto the forest floor. Stinging nettles were all around and Bree had carefully pulled up several of the plants. If she stripped them just right, the fibres harvested would make a strong drawstring, a method used for hundreds of years. It took her a few more minutes of making her way through the underbrush when she came upon a wonderful sight.

"Screw ash." She looked at the large yew tree with excited eyes. Yew had been her first choice when making her first bow but she had to settle for ash as her effort to find a yew tree had been fruitless. She walked around the tree, looking for a nice looking branch that would be perfect for her bow. It didn't take her long to find a decently sized branch that appeared to be sturdy enough to use. It took her mere moments to pull it down to look it over properly. After the quick look over Bree started back towards the campsite. It was spitting out and she was glad for the foliage above her head, keeping the rain from hitting her clothes. She only had one set and it was hard to keep warm in them as it was without them being wet.

She hadn't strayed too far from the campsite and could hear Daryl talking to his new friend. The words were mere murmurs from the distance she was at but they let her know she was close. She had to get the plants in water to begin the retting process. Fourteen days soaking in water would rot off all of useless cellular material, leaving the strong inner fibres for her to twist into cord for the bow string. She entered the clearing, looking out for anything in the campsite she could use to soak her stinging nettles in. A small abandoned bucket seemed to look at her from beside the small building that could have been an outhouse. She walked over and picked it up, it was plastic but it seemed to be alright for holding water. Bree shifted the bundle of wood and headed over to the water tap.

"Darlin', we've got enough fire wood." Daryl's voice sounded over the expanse that separated them and Bree had to give a small smile as she turned the tap on.

"If you burn this, Daryl, I will end you." She doubted she would be able to find the yew tree again that and the perfect branch for the bow. She quickly shut off the water and picked up the plastic bucket before walking towards the campsite. Daryl was poking at the fire, keeping it lit as he added more wood.

"Then what are ya doin' with it?" He looked over his shoulder at her and Bree was struck by how blue his eyes were but she looked away and set the bow supplies on the ground beside her bucket of water.

"Making a bow with some arrows. Going completely traditional with it, like my other bow. Took me the full ten months to get it right." She started stripping the leaves from the stinging nettles with a torn piece of cloth before placing the now bare stalk into the pail. She looped it around the inside of the bucket before moving to the rest.

"So what are ya doin' with the nettles?" He seemed interested as he moved closer to her. Bree turned back to her task of stripping the leaves and branches off of the stalks.

"Retting them. It brings out the fibres so that I can use them to make the drawstring for the bow." She set the second stalk into the bucket and Daryl chuckled.

"They're fuckin' plants. I doubt they are gunna be strong enough fer that." He shook his head and Bree smirked.

"My last bow's string was made from flax fibres. The method has been used for hundreds of years. Plant fibres are-"

"Strong and can be used for many things and retting is the only way to harvest the fibres appropriately." The man's voice sounded very familiar and Bree frowned before looking up. His beard and hair were all over the place but his eyes are what got her. Bree leaned forward slightly and the man's eyes seemed to be watering. "There is only one person in the entire world who could quote that book word for word."

"Howie?" Her voice was thin and a bit shaky, her entire frame stiffened as she looked into the oh so familiar green eyes of her older brother. Bree watched as the man nodded slowly then quicker, her heart pounded in her chest as she bolted to her feet to hug the man she thought was dead. "Howie." He was skinny but she couldn't bring herself to loosen her grip on him. He seemed to be clinging onto her just as tightly.

"So that's the sister ya were lookin' for." Daryl's voice barely registered in her mind as Howard grasped the back of her neck.

"I thought I had lost you like I had lost Anthony. I thought you had gotten bit or worse, those men had taken you. Oh, Briana, you have no idea how glad I am you are safe." His quiet words were filled with relief and choked with tears and Bree could feel tears prick her own eyes but she blinked them away.

"Everyone said you were dead. What was left of Anthony made its way back to the wall and mother said if Anthony was gone than you must be too. No one thought to look." Bree ignored the fact that he was dirty and pressed her forehead to his neck and closed her eyes. "I would have looked if I had known. Howie, I am so sorry." He pushed her away slightly and Bree blinked and looked upwards, trying to keep the tears from entering her vision.

"No, don't think like that. You found me, well your friend did. We are safe and we can now go home. I just wish that Ben wasn't there so we could have a nice reunion without him bitching about it." Howard looked at her and Bree closed her eyes as he brushed her cheek with his thumb, his words made her smile slightly.

"Y'all don't have t' worry about that. In a situation where it was t' kill or be killed. Bree stuck Ben like the pig he was." Daryl's voice made Bree open her eyes and look over her shoulder to the man. He was smirking and she had to smile at him.

"What does that mean precisely?" Howard looked confused under his bush man beard and hair and Bree avoided his gaze.

"It means I had to kill Ben. He was out of control and tried to kill me. Gutted him, not very much but I probably hit an artery and he bled out." Bree stepped away from him and shrugged. "I never should have let him inside the walls." She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, not really knowing how to react now that her brain had caught up with her emotions. For a minute Briana Dixie Lee had been out but the walls slammed shut and Bree was left feeling like she cared for the man but she couldn't love him like she did.

"I know. It's just that you're my baby sister and you shouldn't have had to deal with that alone." He rubbed the back of his neck and Bree went back to retting the stalks.

"Ah, she's alright. Tougher than nails, she is. That family tried killing her twice and couldn't succeed." Daryl reached over and pushed her shoulder and she gave him a small smile. He just smirked.

"Three times actually. Ben tried to kill me that night I disappeared." Bree didn't look up at Howard, trying not to start tearing up again.

"Dixie Lee, are you telling me that we let that man into the compound and housed him the night after he tried killing you?" At the name Bree inhaled sharply and buried her face in her hands in utter embarrassment and was left feeling uncomfortable. A silence fell over the camp and the only thing that could be heard was the camp fire popping. "Did I say something wrong?"

* * *

Uh oh! Bree's in trouble.


	31. Chapter 30

Sorry again for the wait. Still dealing with my shoulder and doctors and all that stuff. I apologize but here it is!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Daryl was absolutely floored. He looked at Bree and he shook his head almost feeling a little betrayed. She had her face buried in her hands and he could see the red flush on her face. Howard looked just confused and Daryl wasn't sure what to feel at that moment.

"Dixie Lee?" He looked at Howard in a bit of disbelief and the man nodded, looking more than a bit confused at the moment.

"Yah, Briana Dixie Lee Hooper. She didn't tell you?" Silence fell and Daryl processed the information slowly. He looked at Bree carefully.

"_Really_? I thought Dixie Lee Hooper was dead, darlin'. Ya told me she was dead." His gaze was narrowed and she jerked her head up, her glare on the ground, aimed at no one. He wasn't sure who she was angry with, Howard, him or herself. If he had to guess it would be herself.

"She's good as. He had a gun on me and he was going to pull the trigger. That is the night Briana Dixie Lee Hooper started to die. That was the night when she learned evil always found a way and it killed her deep inside. Each and every thing I endured while I was gone, killed her even more until there was just me. An empty shell of what I was. Stronger, faster, harder than Dixie Lee ever could have dreamed to be but I am not the girl who blew up that dam, not anymore." She looked at him and he could see the truth in her nearly green eyes. He didn't understand it any more than Howard could. "I can't bring her back and she's lost out here. We are never going to get her back. It will always be just me, Bree. I'm sorry, Howard, but I'm not the girl you spent over a year looking for. I'll never be her again. I've seen too much and I have done too many things to even try." Daryl was surprised at how completely frustrated she looked. Like she had tried to bring her old self back and had failed time and time again. He was still annoyed but she was beating the shit out of herself over it. Not for lying but for not being able to preserve who she had been when she had built the walls.

"Why didn't ya tell me? Did Merle even know?" He was curious now. She had months to tell people who she was, what she had done and he wanted to know if she had taken the opportunities to tell anyone.

"No, no one knew. I didn't want anyone to know what I had lost out here. I built those walls to keep everything I loved safe and it worked but it was at the cost of who I was. I can't fill those shoes anymore. I can't because I am worse than Ben ever could have ever been." She looked like she was filled with such self-loathing that Daryl was actually pissed off at her.

"No, darlin', Ben is worse than you are. Ya did what ya had too t' survive but Ben did what he did fer no reason." He glared at her and Bree stared at him. Howard gave a small cough, Daryl watched as Bree instantly looked towards her brother. As if it were a knee jerk reaction.

"I hate to interrupt but I just wanted to say that I never expected you to be the same, Dixie Lee. I understand, this life right here, is fucking shitty but you are my little sister and you will always be my little sister. No matter what happens to you, no matter what you did or will do, none of that changes the fact that I love you. Anthony and I practically raised you when mom was working. Why the fuck did you think that would change?" Howard's voice had such conviction that Daryl was jealous. This man was telling his sister that it didn't matter what she did, he would still love her. Daryl was painfully aware he never got any of that growing up or even now. "You could be a neo-nazi, Hitler in training and while I would question your morals, I would still love you because that is what this family does. We leave no one behind. Even you." Daryl startled when Howard pointed at him. He didn't look at Bree and stared at the wild haired man.

"I know you've got eyes for my sister, it's painfully obvious but if you make her happy then you are part of our family. Everyone inside that wall is our family. Everyone." He paused and Daryl rubbed his face with his hand, trying not to listen to what he was saying, he wasn't used to hearing that type of shit. "Except Ben. We did a doozy on that one. Shit, I never would have thought- Briana, I am so sorry." The words hung in the air and Daryl looked at Bree, she seemed to be struggling with something as if she wanted to react to the statement but couldn't get passed what was going on inside her head. He knew what would come next and he was proven right as she bolted from the fire.

"It was me, I told her to give Ben a chance. This is my fault." Howard looked at him, almost for reassurance and Daryl shook his head slowly. Knowing he was going to have to go after her.

"It ain't no bodies fault but Ben's." The words were irritated as he stood up. "What that man did was sick, what his family did was twisted and wrong. Ain't no one gunna take that blame but them. I better go git her before she hurts herself." He followed her trail into the woods and couldn't hear her over the sound of the rain hitting the tree leaves. He followed her hasty trail for a few minutes till he found her crouched down, her arms wrapped around her middle. She was shaking but not crying and Daryl paused as she turned to look at him. She looked so heartbroken that it tore at him.

"Why can't I _feel_ anything anymore?" The words were quiet and Daryl just shook his head.

"Sumtimes we jus' have t' shut ev'rythin' down t' protect ourselves. Ya jus' took it further." He took a step closer and Bree kept her eyes on him, as if he were a predator wanting to kill her for a quick meal. She flinched slightly as he reached towards her and Daryl felt his lips tighten in irritation. "Darlin, I ain't done anything to ya. Stop flinchin'. I ain't plannin' on hittin' ya." He grabbed her arm and tugged her to her feet. She looked absolutely lost and Daryl felt for her.

"Ya can feel. Ya jus' need t' fix what's been broken." He looked down at her and slowly she looked up at him. Her eyes seemed almost more brown than green and Daryl cupped her face and kissed her again. He didn't know why but he did. He just had the sudden urge to press his lips onto her soft ones and hold her tight. He pulled back just as she started to respond and shook his head. "Did ya feel that?" Her face was a tinge pink as she nodded. Before he knew it, her arms were around his neck and she pulled him back down for another kiss. It was practiced and felt right, he grabbed her hips and pulled her close. She let out a small, content sigh and Daryl felt proud he had able to bring that reaction out of her. He moved his lips skilfully on hers and his hand slid up under her shirt slightly. Touching the soft skin of her side and his finger tracing the scar Ben had given her. He broke the kiss to breath and Bree didn't relinquish the hold she had on him.

"I'm sorry I lied to you but I had to protect myself. If people knew that they owed their lives to me and they knew what I had done or gone through. I would be hated." The words almost seemed torn from her and Daryl pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He never really knew how to give hugs but she seemed to think the one he was giving her was alright.

"Then they ain't worth the effort. I jus' wished I would have known sooner. I had questions I wanted t' ask ya. About the wall, about ev'rything." He kissed her forehead lightly and then let her go. Missing the warmth of her body pressed against his almost instantly. "I ain't mad at ya, darlin'. We all keep secrets."

"Sometimes secrets are best left secret." Her voice was so quiet Daryl had to strain to hear it. He pushed her away slightly before bringing her chin up to kiss he lips lightly.

"That's true, darling', but I ain't likin' the fact yer dwellin' on it. Ya jus' learned yer brotha' is alive. Focus on that an' it'll be fine." He gave her a small smirk before letting her go. She looked up at him with wide hazel eyes and he blinked slowly.

"Why is it that you found a way in here?" She tapped above her heart and Daryl frowned slightly. "When I can't even let in my own family?"

"It's because I'm so damn irresistible. Stop dwellin'. It'll come back. Came back fer me an' I spent years like you." He winced and rubbed at the bite on his shoulder, Bree grabbed his wrist and pulled it away.

"You'll just aggravate it if you do that. Prevent it from healing appropriately. I know it hurts and I know it itches but it will heal faster if you don't touch it." Her voice was matter of fact and back to being neutral and Daryl felt almost frustrated with her, that she could switch back to being like that after what had just happened but then she looked up at him. Her eyes betrayed her voice, they were swirling with so many emotions that Daryl felt the gaze like a punch to the gut. She had shut herself away for so long she had forgotten how to let herself feel but she could. Daryl wondered if he could crack her shell, if he could break her down so he could get that emotion that was stuck inside of her to flow free.

"Are you guys going to stay in the trees all day or are we going to load up? Dixie Lee, I finished with your nettles and the materials are in the truck now get your ass out here and help me into the truck." Howard's voice was loud as he shouted the words and Daryl watched Bree carefully. A small smile crossed her face but quickly disappeared as she headed for the edge of the trees.

* * *

**Three hours later**

They had run out of gas an hour ago and Bree had left to find a vehicle to scavenge fuel from, despite both him and Howard telling her not to go. Howard because he didn't want to lose her and Daryl because felt it was safer if they stayed together. However they needed gas and Bree was the only one who wasn't hurt, she could move quicker and he could understand that. That was the reason he didn't put up much of a fight when she did take off.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Howard gestured to the bandage and Daryl smirked.

"Got bit puttin' ya in the truck." He chuckled as Howard's face paled significantly and a sound from the brush caught his attention. Bree stumbled out of the thick brush and glared at Daryl and he held up his hands innocently.

"Don't worry. Howard. He's immune to the virus, just like me." The words seemed to fall from her mouth easily and Daryl was surprised as it had been like pulling teeth from a chicken to have her even discuss it with him. Even with Merle she had been terrified but there she was telling her brother without batting an eyelash. "Don't look at me like that, Daryl. I don't keep secrets from my brother." Howard looked between them both.

"You found a cure while I was gone?" He sounded completely astonished and hopeful and Bree nodded.

"I got bit months ago and I had this dog, Brutus and he took to cleaning the wound after I tied myself up. Apparently animals have special blood cells and proteins that give you a super immune system. It was transferred when he would clean my wound. I became immune, I just transferred the cultures to Daryl last night when I learned he got bit." Her explanation was calm and even and Daryl just shook his head. She was strange.

"Darlin', yer confusin' sumtimes." He smirked slightly as she just shrugged, her hazel eyes avoiding his gaze. It was interesting seeing her as she was when she was around her brother. He got to see her as she should have been. Honest and almost relaxed. He saw her caring and worried. He saw some of the emotions she kept wrapped up so tightly. He saw her soften and he liked that.

* * *

And there you have it.


	32. Chapter 31

Here you are another chapter for you!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Two and a half weeks later**

Merle paced in front of the maps he had placed on his walls and Brutus gave a small whine from his blanket on the floor. His mind was whirling and he glanced at the maps and the dark line he had traced over so many times. The route that followed the river, the route he knew Bree and Daryl would take. He stared at the dark lines so long he was sure the image was ingrained into his brain. Every turn was memorized and there were so many times he wanted to go out and find them. To get in a truck and drive to find them but he doubted he could force himself too.

The front door opened and Merle barely spared it a glance as he continued pacing. For two weeks he had been pacing in front of the maps. For two weeks he had been refusing to go out to find them because of what he might find. He didn't want to find them dead or walkers. Or if he had been wrong, not find them at all. He couldn't force himself to go out there and see. He didn't want to lose them again.

"Merle, you need to stop pacing. You are going to wear yourself thin." Susan's voice sounded from the small porch and Merle grimaced. The red haired nurse had forced herself into his life. She cooked and cleaned up after him but wanted to talk all the time about his problems. He didn't want to talk, a Dixon didn't have problems and if they did, they certainly didn't share them with anyone.

"I ain't needin' ya here, woman, go away." He could hear her moving into the living room and turned to glare at her when she turned on the light. "I said go away." Susan just smiled slightly, much to Merle's annoyance.

"I'm not going to go away because you need to eat something. I brought you over some ham and potatoes. You need to eat, Merle." Her voice was calm and Merle ran his hand over his head, feeling the short hairs beneath his palm. He hated how she wanted to take care of him. He didn't need to be taken care of.

"I ain't hungry an' I don't want ya here." He went back to pacing and tried to ignore the woman standing behind him.

"Merle, you are going to eat or I am going to make you." Her voice was stern and Merle paused in his pacing to turn around. He stared at her darkly.

"You ain't in any position t' tell me what t' do." He pointed a finger at her angrily. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at him.

"_You_ are in no position to tell _me_ what to do. I am only worried about you. You need to eat, Merle. You are losing weight, from a medical standpoint you are in dire straits." Her face relaxed into one of worry and Merle felt a hot flash of rage at it.

"I don't care what ya'll think! I am fine an' I don't need ya t' tell me what t' do!" His voice bellowed and Brutus barked sharply in warning, unsure of who to be barking at. Susan took a step back but then stood her ground once again. Merle wanted to shake her. He wasn't the type of man one worried about. He wasn't the type of man anyone trusted or took care of. He had been on his own since he was young, no one took care of him, no one trusted him and he acted in accordance to that.

"Don't try to push me away, Merle. Don't you _dare_! You are the only one who got close to Bree. The only person who knew her and I need that right now. I loved Bree more than anything and I need someone to grieve with. I need you right now, Merle. I know you think you don't need me but know that I'm the one who needs you." Her voice was quiet and Merle pressed his hand to his eyes, not wanting to listen to what she was saying. "I took care of Bree for six months out there and I didn't even know her last name. I didn't even know about this place. She was a bank vault with everything she knew. Just like you, less racist and tough but you two are so similar and I apologize if I need you to get over her dea-… I just need someone to help me grieve." Merle jerked backwards as she grasped his wrist. He tugged against her grip but she held firm. Her blue eyes locked onto his and Merle shook his head.

"She an' my brotha ain't dead. They got out an' they are comin' back." He didn't know why he said it but he did, there was just something in her eyes, something that he just knew he could trust and his trust didn't come easy. Her blue eyes were confused and he tugged his wrist out of her grasp and grabbed her shoulder before pushing her towards the wall with the maps. "Those ain't lines drawn by a man madder than a march hare. Those lines _mean_ summin. Those lines follow the route my brotha an' the little lady would take back here. They are alive an' they are comin' home." The words weren't soft by any means nor were they harsh but Merle took a step back as Susan threw her arms around him and just sobbed into his chest. He stood there, unable to do anything and not knowing what to do even if he could.

* * *

"All I managed was a couple rabbits. Not even nice ones. They are skinny." Bree adjusted her new bow on her shoulder, disliking how it felt against her back. It wasn't like her old one, not as comfortable but it shot well enough. Daryl took the two rabbits from her and pulled her close.

"Yer getting' skinny, darlin'. Ya need t' keep yer curves on ya." The words were said in low and rough voice and chuckled as his hand went from her waist around to her backside. Bree smirked slightly, even as a bit of a flush crossed her face. She reached around and hugged his waist.

"And that would be just terrible. You are practically wasting away to nothing and yet you still worry about me." She gave him a small smile as he kissed her forehead.

"Doncha worry about me, darlin'. My leg is healed an' my shoulder is jus' about there. Another few weeks an' we should reach the walls an' we'll be safe." He looked down at her with his bright blue eyes and Bree rose up onto her tip toes and kissed him. She loved the feeling of his lips against hers, they were surprisingly soft and his facial hair scratched at her but she loved that too. She let herself get lost in the kiss as Daryl seemed to pull her closer against his hard body.

"Hey you two. I know you guys want to get it on but please, I'm starving here." Howard's voice filtered into Bree's hazed mind and she pulled away from Daryl slightly, her face red.

"I got two rabbits. That should tide us over for a few days." Bree pulled away from Daryl completely and he shook his head. She looked at her brother with a bit of a sheepish smile and he walked over on his crutches to pinch her cheek gently. Bree waved him off before rubbing at her cheek.

"I could care less about what you do with who, as long as you are happy, I'm fine. Now who's going to cook these rabbits I have been hearing about?" His green eyes crinkled at the corners and Bree became aware of how much he had aged since she had last seen him. He was looking his age and the thought worried her. Howard and Andrew were timeless. They weren't supposed to age. Thinking about Andrew hurt slightly so she pushed the thought away.

"I'll cook em up." Daryl's voice sent shivers up and down Bree's spine. That man's voice was pure temptation and Bree bit back a groan as he bent his head to kiss her neck as soon as Howard turned away. "I'll be startin' where we left off, darlin'. Doncha be fergettin' either." He swatted he ass and Bree jumped at the loud crack it made. She punched at his good shoulder with a grimace. He dodged the blow with that oh so tantalizing smirk of his and chuckled before heading to the fire. Bree rubbed at the sore spot that rested on her ass and took the bow off her shoulder.

They had been walking for two weeks. Not exactly walking fast because of Howard's broken leg but they were making progress no matter how slow. It still frustrated her a bit, they weren't moving fast enough, people could easily track them and she wished they had a vehicle but they still hadn't left the waterlogged country and every vehicle wasn't even worth trying to get at. She pulled on the bow string, listening to the stretch, trying to hear any anomalies of the pull. It seemed firm and she slowly released the tension.

Bree could only vaguely remember how long it would take to reach the wall, how many kilometers they had covered or needed to cover. It was a long walk and with so little food, one that needed to be done quickly to prevent starvation. Soon there would be little food left. She was lucky with the rabbits she had shot. In this area there was nothing. It was too waterlogged for most plants to grow so no animals came down to eat them and the marshy terrain lasted for more kilometers than she cared to count.

"You alright, Dixie Lee? You have been staring at that bow of yours for quite some time." Howard's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she gave a small nod.

"Just thinking, Howie. We have a long walk a head of us and barely any food to get us there." She spoke in an even and calm tone. Howard nodded slowly.

"I understand, Dixie Lee. We are in a tough spot but we are together and we are alive." He smiled as he made his way over. "We are from tough stock, Briana Dixie Lee Hooper, and don't you ever forget it." He reached over and wrapped an arm around her shoulder in a small but comforting embrace. Bree let out the smallest of sighs.

"We need to find a truck or anything that moves because if we don't, we are going to starve to death." Bree removed herself from her brother's embrace and smoothed down her rumpled and dirty shirt as if it helped with the appearance. She looked at him and Howard gave her a look that showed just how much he cared about her. Bree swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat. She wanted to be able to look at him like that again. She wanted to push through that barrier she had built up around her emotions but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't.

"Don't worry, Bree. You will figure this out. You have had a tough year but you are made from strong stuff. Just like mum and just like me." Howard brushed his knuckles down her cheek and smiled at her brightly.

"You are far too observant for your own good, Howie." Bree gave him a small smile and he nodded at her before adjusting his crutches.

"Did I hear someone say Briana Dixie Lee Hooper and Howie?" A man stumbled into the camp and Bree stared at him. His shaggy black hair fell down to his shoulders and framed his strong and handsome face. Bree blinked slowly, taking the man in. His brown eyes were wide with shock and if she could allow herself, Bree's would have been as well.

"I don't fucking believe it." The words fell from her mouth before she could stop them and the man rushed forward. He pulled her into a bone crushing hug before planting a searing kiss on her lips.

"You better believe it, Briana, because you aren't an apparition and neither am I."

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Hahahahahahahahaha!


	33. Chapter 32

Calm yourselves. Wow, guys this isn't anything to get worried about. Just read more and you will see. Besides, this allows Daryl to get all possessive. Mmmmmmmm possessive Daryl. ~drools~

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Daryl watched them both with anger seeping under his skin. Last he checked he and Bree had a fling, now this guy was pushing his way into that territory? No fucking way. In a world where there were limited people you had to shack up before you missed out and he was planning on shacking up with Bree as soon as it was possible. He was not going to be pushed out for this stranger. He left the fire and walked over. Bree held the man at arm's length and she looked rather stunned. She turned to look at him and Daryl stared at her. She shook her head.

"I can't believe it. I thought you would have gotten eaten. I didn't think you were cut out for this." Bree sounded completely blown away and Daryl stepped closer to her, grasping her small hand in his before looking at the newcomer. He was a fairly impressive looking man but he was still competition and Daryl didn't know their history, as far as he knew they could have been married before the entire apocalypse happened. The thought made him sour towards the man a bit more. He cared for her but he was staking a claim, scratch that, he _had_ staked a claim.

"Neither did I but here I stand and you, Briana. No one heard anything from you after you hid yourself away in those walls. Speaking of which, those are still there aren't they?" His brown eyes glanced at Daryl and Daryl glowered at him and tugged Bree closer, unsure if this man might be a danger. "I'm sorry, we haven't met. My name is Rysk Miller. Briana and I knew each other from before. She and I were best friends before she locked herself away in her little fortress." He gave her a pointed look and Daryl watched as Bree shrugged.

"You do what you have to, Rysk. I offered you a place there but you turned me down and I did look for you after the outbreak." She laced her fingers through his and Daryl was almost surprised at the gesture, surprised that she was so comfortable touching him like that. He was surprised that _he_ was so comfortable touching her like that. It was one thing to kiss and caress but another to hold someone's hand.

"I was hiding with Jamie, so sue me. Speaking of which, are your walls still there?" He sounded a bit agitated and Daryl frowned, he didn't exactly trust the man, despite the history between him and Bree.

"Yes, they are now why do you keep asking?" Bree's voice was the ever calm and neutral tone and Daryl could see the man visibly relax.

"Jamie ended up pregnant and we have been searching for a good place to stay but haven't found one. If you still have a place then Jamie and I would certainly be glad to take it." He looked so damn hopeful that Daryl wanted to puke.

"How far along is she?" It was Howard and Daryl turned to look at Bree's brother. He was leaning on the crutches they made for him and the splint Daryl had put on him was still holding. He was glad to see it was in place, they had walked far in two weeks and it had held up well, better than expected. It couldn't take much more but it was holding.

"We don't know, she could be seven months or she could be eight. We need somewhere safe and we need a doctor for when the time comes." Rysk shrugged and Bree let Daryl's hand go to touch the man's shoulder. Daryl gritted his teeth to prevent himself from saying anything.

"We have a doctor and proper facilities, Rysk. You and Jamie will be safe but it is still a long walk to get there." Her voice was soft and Daryl felt the bitter feeling of jealousy rise up in his chest as Rysk grasped her hand in his.

"Thanks, Briana. You always were the best. Jamie will be so glad to hear that you are okay. I know I am still in shock at the sight of you." Rysk gave her an extraordinarily loving smile. Daryl felt his control snap.

"She ain't sumone ya use and then push off t' the side. I suggest that if ya don't have anythin' t' give us in return fer the walls then ya should keep goin'." The words were practically snarled and Howard and Rysk both stared at him in surprise. Bree didn't even seem fazed and she didn't turn her head towards him like the others had.

"I'm sorry but I didn't get _your_ name." Rysk glared at him at him and Daryl glared at the man.

"I didn't give it." He gritted out the words and let go of Bree's hand before heading back to check on the rabbits. Daryl was confused about everything that was happening right now. He didn't know the man but his attitude around Bree was enraging. Bree wasn't supposed to have another guy, wasn't supposed to have an old flame come around. Bree was supposed to be with him.

"Don't mind him. He's just on edge around strangers." Bree's voice was so smooth and calm that it helped ease some of the anger he felt pulsing at his temples. "His name is Daryl. He's a good friend." Daryl turned to look at her with an incredulous glare. They were more than just good friends. Bree gave him a small smirk Rysk looked at him as if appraising him.

"As much as I am not sure about him based on how he acts, if you guys are friends, then fine. Nothing I can do about it." He turned to Bree and Daryl watched with clenched teeth as the man touched Bree's cheek. "Jamie and I are living in an old abandoned farm house about four clicks from here. You guys are more than welcome to bunk with us." Daryl picked up the rabbits and his pack.

"Sounds like it would beat sleeping on the ground. My leg hurts sleeping on the wet ground." It was Howard speaking and Daryl turned around, watching everyone. Bree moved to grab her pack and Howard moved to embrace Rysk. The man wasn't exactly trustworthy to Daryl but then again it could be that the man posed as competition and Daryl hated competition.

* * *

**An hour later**

Daryl looked at the rough looking farm house. The paint was peeling, and on some sides nearly gone completely. The roof was sagging and he honestly would have preferred sleeping under a tree, at least the tree wouldn't cave in on him during the night.

"I know it doesn't look like much but it's held up okay. We picked it because there is a grain truck in the metal quonset that didn't get wet. Some mice chewed up the wiring but I've been trying to get it to work. You know me, Briana. I was never a mechanic, so it's been slow going." He rubbed his forehead and Bree shrugged.

"You are about as handy as a back pocket on a shirt, as my mum always used to say." Howard smirked and Bree gave a small chuckle. The sound of a rusty screen door opening filled the air and Daryl looked at the house, a small, very pregnant blonde woman stepped onto the clearly rotting porch clutching a shotgun to her shoulder. She quickly put it down.

"For fuck's sake, Briana! I could have shot you. I thought you were here to take our supplies. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, am I happy to see you. You have those walls up, honey? Cause I need to get to a safe place soon or this baby is being born on these steps." Her southern accent surprised Daryl slightly. Bree remained neutral like always but Howard moved forward on his crutches with a large smile on his face.

"Look who it is. Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. You are looking decidedly pregnant." His voice was cheerful and Daryl looked around warily before noticing Bree was doing the same, she seemed to be gripping her bow tighter than usual. It helped him relax slightly, she wasn't going to let her guard down, even if she had known the man from before.

"Howard Hooper, you scoundrel! I am glad you are okay as well. How's Andrew?" The woman's voice brought Daryl back to a different time, he shook it off and turned to look at Howard's reaction. The loss of his brother had pained him greatly, he knew that and the woman had torn a bandaid from a nasty wound and poked it.

"He got bit nearly a year ago, I got separated from him and that was that." His voice seemed tight and Daryl glanced around, checking for anything out of the ordinary, looking for anyone that might try to attack.

"I am so sorry, Howard. How are you two holding up?" She glanced between Howard and Bree and Bree did nothing but stared at her with a veiled expression, she was so neutral, so stoic that Daryl was constantly impressed. He knew things hurt her, things fazed her but to others, she looked like she had it all together, that nothing affected her. Daryl ached for the time he could make her come undone, where that shield she put up would shatter and he could see her at her rawest.

"We are fine. We brought some rabbits, it's not much but it should help us out until we get the truck fixed. After that, we can go back." He turned to look at Bree and Daryl became aware that he looked at him as well. "We can go home." Home, it was such a simple word and for Daryl it was confusing, home to him wasn't home to someone else, he wasn't exactly sure where he home would be if he had one. Sure his small house behind the walls could have been his home but he never felt like it was. It was just a place he stayed, a place he slept. Daryl wasn't sure if he could ever find a place where he could settle down and grow old. Hell he wasn't even sure if he would be able to grow old, life expectancy was short now days. He wasn't sure he would make it another year, let alone fifty more years.

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Now I promise the next chapter will show very possessive Daryl. No need to worry my dears. No need to worry.


	34. Chapter 33

I'm really sorry guys. I've been having a really rough go of it lately. I was diagnosed with depression due to chronic pain and I am finding it hard to motivate myself to do anything. Its not like its new or anything. I have been having trouble motivating myself for a while but now that it has a diagnosis I am still trying to come to grips that fact I have depression. It is difficult but I am managing. I have an MRI coming up next week and then I will be meeting with an orthopedic surgeon on the sixteenth, not to mention I have to do my tertiary rehabilitation, see my counselor, and fit my work around all that so it leave little time for writing. I feel really bad about it but don't think I am just leaving the story unfinished. I will be finishing it, fro where I am in it it is only a couple chapters from being done, it will just take a bit longer than I wanted.

I only have one last thing to say, mainly as a cautionary warning. If my MRI comes up with bad news and I will require surgery I will be out for a while. Apparently the type of surgery and where I would be having it (my shoulder) is very painful so I will be on pain meds and having to see the doctor constantly so writing will be on the lowest priority for me. Don't worry, I will let you know if I need surgery beforehand so you guys will know. Thank you guys so much for sticking in there with my random updates and the long waits. It means a lot to me.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Bree looked at the mess of wiring in the truck as Howard was tearing it out, cursing at the small animals that did it the entire time. She didn't need to be there with him, she didn't know anything about vehicles other than how to hotwire them but she liked being around him. She didn't want to be around Rysk or Jamie, she knew they could feel something different about her. She knew she wasn't complete, as she had said before, Brianna Dixie Lee Hooper was scattered across the province. She wanted to accept that fact, she disliked herself but she knew she had to stop pretending to be someone she wasn't. She was the girl who had gutted Ben in front of everyone, the one who, without a care, put a bullet in his brain after he died. She was the one who stabbed Leon and let the walkers finish him off.

"Bree, can you hand me the 2/8ths wrench?" Howard's muffled voice brought her out of her thoughts and she picked up the wrench he had asked for before climbing into the passenger side of the truck and handing it to him. Silence fell as he tinkered with the wiring and the bolts holding the dash in place.

"You love me, right?" Bree was surprised to hear the words fall from her lips and she was even more surprised at how small and childish they sounded. Howard looked up at her from his place on the floor of the truck and smiled. The familiar smile made her chest ache.

"That's a stupid question. Of course I do." He chuckled as he went back to his task, Bree's tongue felt heavy and she didn't want to say what she was going to.

"Even if I can't love you back?" It hurt saying it but in some way it was true, she couldn't feel her love for him as she once had. She watched as he stilled in his job and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Briana, I am your brother, I _know_ you love me. I can see it in everything you do for me. You can't conveniently forget how to love someone because it's ingrained into you. I can see it, even if you can't. It's that softening around your shoulders when look at me and the unconscious lean you get towards me when I sit by you. It's in how you talk to me and in the very air around you when you are close." His words were like a punch to her stomach. "It was like that with Andrew. We didn't need to feel our bond and love twenty-four/seven because we could see it. You can see it in me too. Don't worry, Briana, you love me because I can see it." She felt sudden tears prick her eyes and she bit her lip hard until the watering went away.

"You love me even though I closed those gates to everyone on the outside?" She had to let everything out. She wanted to get it out. It had been festering inside of her like a forgotten sliver, if she didn't it would rot her from the inside out.

"Yes, if you hadn't we would have died." It was as quick reply and she closed her eyes. It was painful to admit everything and it was like she was pulling open a wound and poking it just to see if it still hurt.

"You love me even though I ran away?" She remembered the night with Ben clearly, the fear she had felt, the total panic she had coursing through her in those moments. That was hard, she had let everyone down the instant she had run away. She had let down everyone who had come across the walls and who were barred entrance.

"Yes, I would have been mad if you hadn't." He grunted as he tried to loosen a rusty bolt. She watched him as she carefully chose her next words.

"You love me even though it's my fault Andrew died?" She jumped back as he moved suddenly. He grabbed the front of her shirt and tugged her downwards, his green eyes were furious.

"Don't you ever say anything like that again! Andrew loved you, he died out there looking for you but that was his own fault, we got separated and he took a risk. There is no way that it is your fault. It is not your burden to carry." His eyes softened and he carefully pulled himself onto the seat. Once his broken leg was in a comfortable position he hugged her to his chest. Bree closed her eyes and suddenly burst into tears. She clutched at Howard and cried for Andrew. "We loved you more than anything, Briana. Andrew and I went looking for you in Saskatoon, we got surrounded and he got bit after we fought our way out we got separated and I never saw him again. That is not your fault. It was never your fault. So let it out." Bree held him so tightly around the waist she was afraid she would crack his ribs but he said nothing and just held her.

It felt good to let everything out, to cry out months of frustrations, guilt, and inadequacies. She absolutely loathed the thought of crying in front of anyone but in that moment she was comfortable. This was Howard, her big brother, the man who practically raised her. He had seen her cry more times than she could count and this was no different. In that moment she wasn't Bree, she was Briana, a little girl who had her heartbroken and her innocent lost all in one night. The girl who had been forced to blow up a dam and kill possibly hundreds of survivors but who was still too innocent to fight against the man who had forced her to do it.

"Bree, you are showing all the signs of PTSD. Emotional detachment, sleeplessness coupled with nightmares, being tense, strong feelings of guilt, etc. You experienced a year of truly traumatic things, Bree. You didn't change, your mind just adapted to what was happening, it couldn't cope properly and that is alright." He rubbed her back and Bree pulled back slightly from Howard. Was it that simple? Was it as easy as being diagnosed with something as simple as that? "Don't over think it, Briana. You have PTSD, many of us do, you just happened to experience something worse than most so you got stuck with a more severe form of it." Bree shook her head and let him go completely. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"I'm not overthinking it, Howard. It makes sense. If it is just PTSD then it's treatable. I won't be the same but I'll be better." The thought in itself seemed too good to be true but he made a very valid point. Howard brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes with a wide smile.

"No, Bree, you won't ever be the same but you can begin to talk about and accept what you have gone through. The things you experienced aren't ever going to go away, they moulded you and that will never change but it doesn't have to run your life." His green eyes were comforting and Bree fought against the feeling that would cover up her love for him, the psychological block that separated her from her emotions.

"I'll start when we get back. Dr. Erwin might be able to help." She kind of doubted it, he was more in treating physical problems rather than mental. However it would be a start. She wiped at her eyes and Howard tapped under her chin with his knuckle.

"That sounds like a good idea, Bree." He looked at the wiring with a sigh. "There should be some wiring around somewhere. I need just a few spools. Do you mind looking for some? I think if I had just enough I could trick the truck into thinking that it can run." And just like that the conversation was over and Bree was glad that it was. It was one thing to sob uncontrollably and another to talk about it afterwards. She nodded and hopped out of the truck. The quonset would probably have some sort of wiring, it was a farm after al and most farms kept a plethora of junk around. Well not exactly junk, everything had a use but whether or not it was actually used for its intended purpose was the turning point into junk.

The quonset was poorly lit, the only light coming from the two large open door at the front. The water would have destroyed the electrical and so she was left to try and find something in the dark. The tool benches were filled with random items and metal. It was cluttered but spoke of what used to be a frequently used work space. She carefully shifted the metal and random buckets and balls of baler twine.

She didn't have much knowledge of farms but she certainly would have hoped that they would have been a bit more organized with their things. Item after item was checked and discarded, she found several knifes and a flashlight that surprisingly still worked. Several minutes later she found a barely used whet stone.

"Bree, have you found the wiring yet?" Howard's voice called over from the truck and she felt her face warm up, she had almost forgotten her entire purpose for searching. She had spent so much of her time in cities that she hadn't realized what a treasure trove farms could be.

"No, but we have to note to search farms more frequently. There is a lot of stuff here." She pocketed the whet stone and used the flashlight to search for the spools of coloured wires. Her face went completely red as the beam of the flashlight rested on a carefully constructed shelf filled with the spools she had been searching for. It sat off to one side and she grabbed several spools and headed back to the truck. "I hope these are enough." She put the spools on the truck seat before returning to the work bench. The truck would need to be stocked and this would be just the place to start.

"Is Bree in here?" That familiar southern drawl instantly made her shiver and her stomach clench. She desired Daryl in a way she hadn't desired anyone else. Sure, in her life she had felt desire but the way she felt for Daryl made the others pale in comparison.

"Yah, she's back in the quonset, probably searching for more treasures." Howard's voice cut through the haze she hadn't realized had descended in her mind. She turned back to the work bench and continued to search through the items in the hopes of finding useful things. She was more than aware of when he stood behind her, her psyche was nearly painfully attuned to his. She was always hyper aware about where he was and how close he seemed to be.

A strong hand wrapped around her waist and his hand splayed across her stomach. She felt the touch like electricity through her entire body before he pulled her roughly against his chest. His lips pressed into her shoulder and his warm breath caressed her collar bone. She found herself relaxing into him, her soft body moulding to his.

"Yer mine, Bree. Ain't no man on this earth gunna take away what is mine." How he said it was dark and possessive and she felt her body shudder against him as the words moved over her skin. His hand held tighter against his chest and Bree leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I told Rysk we were friends because it isn't any of his business what I want to do with you. He was protective over me before all of this happened. I didn't need him grilling you for your history before he gave his blessing for you to touch me." She smirked slightly before turning her head and pressing her lips to his stubbled jaw. "It isn't anyone's business what we want to do." Daryl let out a small growl before he turned her around and pulled her tight against his chest and kissed her.

Bree liked how passionate he was, there was little elegance in what he did, he was all hot lips and strong hands and she loved it. It was just raw need as he pushed her against the work bench before kissing her again. She had seen elegant men do terrible things and elegance in need put her off. She liked the rough need, the raw need, she liked the raw Daryl, the passionate Daryl.

"Jesus Christ, you two. As soon as I turn my back on you two, you are on each other." Howard sounded exasperated and Bree let out a frustrated groan. She could just see a curve of a smirk on Daryl's lips as she pressed her forehead into the crook of his neck.

"And why it that whenever Daryl and I are just getting into one another, you pop up?" She looked over Daryl's shoulder and Howard was smiling an all too innocent smile.

"I just think that you two shouldn't be doing that out in the open because _anyone_ could find you." He gave a wink and Bree groaned again. Daryl chuckled into the crook of her neck and she felt the overwhelming urge to pout. She wasn't ever going to get laid.

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Possessive Daryl. ~drools~ Told you he would show up. Hope you guys liked this chapter. The next few chapters are going to be interesting and I'll try my best to upload regularly but I can't make any promises.

_**TV SHOW SPOILER**_

**DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN SEASON 3 EPISODE 15 OR BETTER KNOW AS THE EPISODE BEFORE THE SEASON FINALE!**

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Also I was really upset about about Merle's death in this last episode. I really grew to like him over this Season and I am pretty sure I cried when he died. I kind of liked Merle's character anyway, even Season one in the first episode he appeared in. I liked how despite everything he was still a racist asshole. I liked that about him and It made me really like Micheal Rooker as an Actor but it is hard to let a character go when you get attached. (Merle had me hook, line, and sinker when he mentioned that the one thing he missed about Woodbury was the library, a man after my own heart). So I had to grieve a little over that. I am having difficulties writing my Merle because he is still alive while TV show Merle is dead and then I get kind of sad about it. Pathetic I know but still. He was a great character with a deep personality (meaning there was more to him than what you could see, rather than he was philosophically deep like Yoda.) and he was played by a great actor. So my next glass of milk I raise to both of them. One for dying a hero's death and the other for playing the character so well he created a lasting impression with me. Here's to you.


	35. Chapter 34

I feel terrible! Its been a LOOOOOOOOONG time since I have updated. I`ll have more time to update soon. I promise! It will probably be broken until my medical stuff is taken care of but there will be a time when I can update to the best of my abilities!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

Enjoy!

* * *

Merle groaned and rolled over. He had made a mistake, well at the time it had seen like a very, _very _good idea but_ now_ it was a mistake. He had fucked the nurse. Now he was going to have to deal with a clingy woman in a thirteen square mile area. He would never be able to get rid of her. It had been good, he had to give her that one, the things she did with her tongue were amazing but it didn't change the fact he was a 'hit it and quit it' kind of guy. He didn't do relationships or anything more than a one night stand. He sat up before getting to his feet and grabbing his jeans from the floor.

"Merle-" She sounded like she wanted to say something but held back. He didn't want to look at her, he was ashamed, kind of. He had taken advantage of her, she had been crying and when she kissed him he had only been thinking with his second head, the one who constantly got him in trouble. "Thanks. It's been a while since I've had sex. I needed that." She sounded almost relieved and Merle pulled on his pants and left the room. He had made things complicated and he didn't want things to be complicated. He sat on the couch and Brutus walked over and set his head on his knee. Merle patted the dog's head and tried to contemplate what had just happened.

"Merle, if I knew you would be this quiet after sex I would have done that a long time ago." Susan's voice came from the small hallway and Merle scowled darkly. "What's wrong?"

"That ain't any of yer business." He glared at her and she shook her head with a wry smile.

"I never took you for a person who regrets having sex." She walked over and he resisted the urge to leave the room. "Merle, we are two consenting adults." He closed his eyes and rubbed at his face.

"I ain't wantin' a woman houndin' me at all hours of the day." He spoke the words through gritted teeth and Brutus licked at his hand. Merle resisted the urge to push the dog away. He hadn't wanted the dog either but the mutt had adopted him.

"I never said I wanted a relationship. I wanted sex. I got sex. I'm happy with it. I'm forty nine years old, Merle, I don't want to chase a guy down. I don't even know if I have the energy for a relationship. I have the energy for sex but I am too tired to try and maintain a relationship." She sounded reasonable as she sat beside him and Merle grimaced, moving away from her. "Keep in mind I will still be coming over and nagging you to eat and to bathe and everything else because you need to stay healthy, I would do nothing less for anyone else in dire straits but remember this. In the back of my mind, I will always be hoping for a repeat of what just happened." Merle stood up and grabbed his jacket from where he had tossed it earlier that morning.

"I'm goin' outside. Don't even think about followin' me. Clear out before I git back." He gave a sharp whistle for Brutus to follow him before he let the small house with a slam of the door. The night air was a tad chilly and Merle regretted not putting on a shirt. Brutus followed beside him without a sound. Lights were on in many of the buildings and Merle glowered at the ground.

"Merle. I would like a word with you." It was Eleanor and Merle let out a nasty curse. "Merle, please cooperate with me on this one. I need your help." He didn't want to, he really didn't but he grudgingly walked towards the big house and stood in the doorway. He wouldn't go inside, it was a rich man's house and he didn't like the feeling of being too dirty to touch anything. Eleanor's lined face peeked around a corner and she smiled.

"Thank you, Merle. I've just been having difficulties with the new guy, Rick, and his crew. I can tell they are getting antsy. Well not them, him. He seems to be kind of belligerent." She gave him another soft smile and Merle gritted his teeth.

"I ain't causin' any trouble with Rick. I hate the man ten ways t' Sunday but I ain't gunna put him in his place." He ground it out and Eleanor shook her head as if irritated by his lack of understanding to what she was saying.

"No, I am going to be the one to talk to him but in all honesty I need help. I would ask one of the boys but they aren't threatening and if Bree trusted you with her life then why can't I?" She said it almost like a command but phrased it as a rather polite question. It made Merle bristle.

"The little lady was different." He muttered the words under his breath, not really wanting the older woman to hear him. Bree had been different, a short little creature with a hard sort of innocence. She had practically begged to be taken care of and because Daryl pushed him away, he moved to her. Hoping he could slip into the place her brother's had left. It wasn't a perfect fit but it had worked. Eleanor on the other hand meant nothing to him. Well she was Bree's mother but that was it. He had no other connection to her.

"I _need_ your help, Merle. This Rick character had started talking about taking weapons and forcing us to comply with what he wishes. Now I am pretty sure it is because he thinks we might kick him out. Now the thought had never crossed my mind but I've been hearing rumors that he plans to try and take the main house and put himself in charge." What she said seemed reasonable enough to Merle. He had thought it once or twice but he never wanted to lead and with Bree he knew his place had been secured. Rick was a man you didn't say no too. Merle honestly believed the man was more dangerous than himself and that was saying something. "I am _scared_, Merle. I'm not Briana and I am not my boys. I don't know how to handle violent situations. If Briana was here she would know what to do but I am clueless." Merle ground his teeth together and knew he had been caught hook, line and sinker. He was one giant asshole but she was Bree's mother and the old woman needed to be protected.

"Fine, I'll come with ya to the sheriff's house an' then act as a buffer between ya an' the idiots inside." He said it grudgingly and she smiled at him brightly. He hated how the smile reminded him of Bree, he hated how it made his heart clench in his chest. He hated how it made him feel. He liked being a heartless bastard. It was easier to deal with in this world.

* * *

Eleanor was worried, she wasn't like Briana or the twins. She hated confrontation, she could feel her palms sweat as she even thought about it. When she had threatened Merle that had been different. Merle wasn't going to hurt her. She trusted him to an extent but Rick was dangerous. He was volatile and reckless and someone was going to get hurt if she didn't calm the situation down.

The night was quiet except for the croaking of the frogs in the sloughs and the sound of their shoes on the gravel. Brutus panted every so often and Eleanor was reminded of Briana and she hoped that Merle had been right and that one day they would both walk through those gates no worse for wear. The house she had assigned for the small group was lit up and she carefully walked up the porch stairs before knocking on the door.

Eleanor knew she was old but with age came experience and she knew the look on the sheriff's face as he opened the door. He was up to no good and that suspicion was only furthered by how his eyes narrowed as he realized it was her.

"What do you want?" It was spoken gruffly as if he were taking to a disobeying child or an unwanted guest. She didn't appreciate the tone he was taking with her.

"I wish to speak to you and your group, Rick." She took a step forward and he stopped her with his hand. She felt her heart pound, if he was going to be difficult she wasn't sure what she could do.

"No. There is no need for you to talk to me. Especially when you are rubbing elbows with his sort." He jerked his hand at Merle who was standing at the bottom of the stair with Brutus and Eleanor felt her eyes narrow.

"Do _not _take that tone with _me_, young man. Need I remind you that it was my family who built this place, my family who give you food, shelter, power, and a home? This is not your world, Rick Grimmes, this is _my _world. When I politely ask to come in, you get you tea pot out and ask me one teaspoon or two." She pointed her finger at him and placed her other hand on her hip. "Merle is here for my safety. He does not want to be here anymore than you want him too but unlike you he listened when I asked him for his help. Now _stand aside,_ young man. I wish to speak to you and your group." She gave him the most disapproving look she could muster but he didn't seem to be budging.

"Rick, let the woman in. She is right, we are guests." It was Hershall and she watched as Rick slowly moved aside, as if the entire motion pained him. She stepped forward.

"Thank you." The words were said in the most polite yet detached tone she could muster. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweating betraying her smooth and calm demeanour. Eleanor wasn't a person who liked confrontation.

"I'll let you in but _he _stays outside." Rick jerked his finger at Merle and Eleanor looked at the rough looking man.

"Well I say he is to stay by my side until my business is concluded. He won't cause you any harm, except maybe to your pride." She glowered at him and motioned for Merle to come up the stairs. He did and she stepped into the well-lit house. Hershall was standing at the base of the stairs, leaning on his crutches.

"Good evening, Eleanor. You are looking well." He gave her a warm smile and Eleanor returned it with a small nod.

"Dr. Erwin is to thank for that one, Hershall." She gave the older man a warm smile of her own and he motioned for her to follow him into the living room. She could hear Merle and Brutus behind her as she stepped into the rather spacious living room. The people inside either looked at her with slightly guilty expressions or wariness. She noticed how every expression turned to utter hatred and anger when they caught sight of Merle.

"Everyone, Ms. Hooper would like to speak with us." Hershall sat down beside what Eleanor believed to be his daughter, one of them. She was fairly sure the man had two.

"I know what you guys are planning to do." As she expected several people looked at their hands or feet, others looked angry and she sat down on the edge of an end table. "I am warning you now. It won't work." She fished her key card out of her flannel shirt pocket and held it up.

"These are more than just key cards to unlock houses and gates. These are the very lifeline of our system. They aren't just cards, they are tracking devices. These cards keep track of how many people are in the compound at a single given time. They tell the entire system who you are, your health, your age. Everything that you told the nurse or doctors during processing, is held in your key card." She noticed the surprised looks on their faces and she knew it would come to a shock. Everyone knew what the key cards did, how they functioned but no one understood how intrinsic they were to the system.

"Why the fuck do you need to track us?" It was the Asian boy and Eleanor tucked her key card away as everyone else mirrored that statement. She could feel the hostility rising in the small room.

"We don't. They system does. Briana set up an elaborate system for the food and ammo reserves. Her underground bunker, her large pantry. She didn't want to spend all day handing out the allotted food and supplies, so when she built this place, she implemented a system that would do it for her." She shifted on the end table and looked around the room, seeing if they understood.

"So what you are saying is that the key cards keep track of our needs and deliver supplies to us in accordance to that." It was the black woman, Michonne she believed her name was and Eleanor smiled at her kindly. A voice of reason in a situation that could erupt in violence.

"Exactly." She turned to look at Rick. "Your plan won't work because as soon as you kill me or take my card, it erases the data off of mine. The card change hands so many times that it is easier to keep track of them based off of your finger prints. As soon as you touch a card, the previous entry is deleted and yours is implemented. You take my card while Briana is outside of the walls. The handouts stop. The underground bunker isn't accessible to anyone. Even I can't get in. Briana's is the only person with the ability to go down there and I am the only reason the handouts are still coming. As soon as my card is erased, the handouts stop and cannot start again unless I hold the card within three minutes or else we get locked out and the only way to get back into the system is with Briana's card." She shrugged her shoulders. This is why they didn't tell people, people would freak out but she needed them to understand that a hostile takeover wasn't a good option. In fact it wasn't even on the table.

"She's dead." Rick's ever present bluntness made Eleanor grit her teeth. The man was an idiot, a rude and belligerent idiot.

"You take my card, you doom everyone here to starve. The gates and houses lock down and there is no escape for you. I cannot access the system. I rely on the handouts just as much as you do but remember, you take my key card, you try to force a regime change and I will make sure you and your friends are locked in with the rest of us. As soon as that happens, the power is cut off, the water is cut off, the food, is cut off, medicine, shelter, etc. Are you sure you want to doom us all, Rick? Are you sure you wish to rely on your paranoid delusions?" She stood up and stared at everyone. "The thought of kicking you out never crossed my mind. You have all assimilated very well. You all do your jobs and have made friends. I haven't seen a single hint of violence from any one of you but if you continue on this path, I will be forced to eject you from here. This is no longer the survival of the fittest, in here, the survival of the group means more than the individual. Briana showed you all that when she dealt with Ben. Make no mistakes that if you step a single toe out of line, my boys will come at you at your weakest, throw you in a truck and drop you off out there. You won't have anything but the clothes on your backs." She narrowed her eyes in the hopes to convey her meaning. She didn't want to do it but she didn't want them to know it was an empty threat.

"What about him? What about fucking Merle? He's the worst kind of human being there is, yet you still let him live here. He's the reason Daryl is dead. They took Daryl because they thought he was Merle!" It was Glenn and Eleanor pinned him with a sharp gaze. He looked sufficiently cowed after a few seconds.

"Merle spent weeks looking for my little girl and his brother, weeks scouring the shore lines of the river, hoping to find something, anything. What did you do? You took their word for it. You wrote them off as dead. Merle stays because he had earned his place. Now I suggest you start earning yours." She glared at all of them, anger burning hot in her chest. These people had their heads screwed on upside down and backwards. She motioned for Merle to follow her out of the house and he did so silently. Brutus made more sound than the man did as they left the building.

"Ya didn't have t' defend me back there, ma'am. I have done sum terrible things. I ain't worth defendin'." He muttered it out and Eleanor stopped before turning around and pointing a finger in his face. He stared at it in surprise.

"Don't you start! You took care of my little girl. You tried to be the brothers she lost and she loved you for it. I loved you for it. I lost my sons out there and then I lost Briana but you and your brother brought her back to me. That is worth a thousand offers of friendship from anyone. I defended you as I would my own child and I will do so till my dying breath. You have earned your spot in my family, Merle and don't you forget it." She slumped her shoulders, suddenly tired. She never wanted to do anything like that again. Briana was so good at dealing with problems and Eleanor knew she was lacking. "I am tired, Merle, would you be a dear and escort me back to the main house?" He said nothing as she took his arm in hers and started walking.

* * *

Rick's psychosis is getting worse. Uh oh! I base his attitude kind of off the comics because near the end of Compendium two he is kind of REALLY paranoid, like severely paranoid. So I decided to base his reaction on that rather than the just plain crazy tv show Rick.  
Also, I played The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, it is actually really good. It made me miss Merle like crazy though. Micheal Rooker is a great actor and he did a wonderful job but it is still really sad.


	36. Chapter 35

I had my contrast dye MRI today. I was freaking out over it for no reason. I mean afterwards I was in a lot of pain if I moved my shoulder but the contrast dye injection itself was done very well. Felt a few things but it wasn't painful and the technicians really made it easy for me. Kept making me laugh and kept me calm and I really appreciated it. So I decided to upload another chapter. We are getting closer to the end of the story. It is sad, I know but it has to end sometime.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing

Enjoy!

* * *

"That was unexpected." Axel spoke first and rubbed his hands on his thighs. "That old lady has some fire in her." Michonne allowed her eyes to dart around the room. They had been planning on taking the main house, she hadn't agreed with the plan in the first place but she had kept her mouth shut. These were good people, this community wasn't anything like Woodbury. Everyone pulled their own weight, everyone had a job and everyone got along. There were tiffs and scuffles but nothing major.

"She's lying. She won't kick us out. I know her type." Rick's voice let them all know that he was a bit paranoid. She wondered how much more they would all take before they snapped at him. He was losing it and it had only gotten worse since Daryl had died.

"No, for this I am putting my foot down. We have been told we have a spot here if we want it. I for one like this place, Rick." Hershall looked at Rick under his white eyebrows and Michonne inwardly agreed with the old man. This was a good place to start over.

"But there will always be the chance that they will kick us out." Rick started pacing and Michonne watched him with hooded eyes. This was the strangest group she had encountered, strange but it had been safe. Now she wasn't so sure, Rick was losing it big time and if violence erupted she didn't want to be forced to pick a side.

"If we continue on this path that is their only choice." It was Carol and Michonne's eyes darted to the short haired woman before going back to Rick's frantic pacing.

"It seems foolish to continue, Rick." Axel rubbed at his thighs again and Michonne shifted from her position on the wall. Glenn shook his head, he was ever the follower but neither him nor Rick had realized the game had changed.

"I agree with Rick, we strike and we strike now." Glenn stood up and Michonne watched as Rick seemed to relax a bit and slow in his pacing.

"No, Glenn. What is she was telling the truth, what if rations stop? What will we do then?" Maggie chipped in and Michonne knew her time to speak would come up. She didn't care to be the center of attention, she preferred silence and to do as she was told but this wasn't right and she would let them know.

"We raid the garden. We can hunt, we can do this. If we managed to clear the prison we can do this." Glenn sounded exasperated, as if that were the obvious answer to the problem.

"The seeds come in in the rationings. We would have enough food for all of us for maybe a couple months but after that we are stuck in here, doomed to starve. Is that what you want?" Carol's voice rose with anger and Michonne pushed away from the wall.

"Judith's formula comes in our rations." Beth's small voice seemed to silence the rest and even Rick paused at that.

"Michonne?" Rick's tone asked her all the questions she needed to hear.

"It was out of line for you to mention her dead daughter, Rick. Have you forgotten that on our first day here, that man wanted to kick us out but her daughter stopped him. Granted she killed him in doing so but she chose to give us a chance over a person she must have known for years." Michonne chose her words carefully and spoke slowly, making sure they understood what she was saying. "This place is a good place. Times change, Rick, we no longer have to fight, we no longer have to struggle. What we need is given to us, it is not fair that the power goes to one person but what is fair is that that person is an old woman who is hell bent on protecting the people here. She's no Governor. She isn't lording over us, she isn't killing people, she isn't pitting us against zombies. She is just a woman who pulls her weight like the rest of us. But if you wish to continue on a fool's path then do so." She cracked her neck and looked at Rick who frowned.

"Out of everyone I would have thought you would be the one on my side. Merle tried to kill you." The way he said it made her a bit angry. Yes Merle had done some things and she hadn't forgiven him but her issue was with Merle, not with the people who lived around him.

"Merle being here has nothing to do with my decision. The man is vile but what she said is true. He searched for them for weeks. I like to keep an eye on my enemies, Rick. If I have an issue with Merle, it is with Merle, not the rest of the people who live here. I think that is something you must learn to understand. Why do you believe these people are a threat when they have done nothing but offer us kindness? Giving us a warm place to sleep, a hot shower and full bellies doesn't make them our enemies. That makes these people our friends." With that Michonne left the room. She had said her piece and she was done, that was the end of it. If Rick decided to charge the main house she would be behind him because that is who she was.

She slowly walked up the stairs and entered her room. Her katana rested by the door and she lay down on her bed. Life here was nice, it was relaxing. She didn't let that get in the way of keeping her skills in good shape. Michonne sat up abruptly and gazed at her katana, she needed practice. With that thought she grabbed her weapon and carefully crawled out her window. It was easy for her to climb down the drain pipe and just as easy to slip into the dark.

She headed down the long road towards the gates. The night air was cool but refreshing as she pulled her katana over her shoulder. Normally she would have taken a quad or a truck but she didn't want to bring any attention to herself. Hopefully Rick had a moment of clarity before he did anything stupid but she doubted he would. There were times she wondered if Rick suffered from PTSD and a bit of psychosis, it would explain his erratic behaviour, she had also wondered if maybe he had a tumor pushing on his brain but their medical exam ruled that out.

It didn't take her long to reach the first set of gates and she carefully fed the card into the slot and the gates opened. She slipped through and picked up her new card before jogging down the fenced in road. Things were easier now but at the same time they were hard. Easier because she could live by her sword. She could kill what needed to be killed to keep herself safe but it was hard because sometimes you didn't know where the threat would come from next. You couldn't tell apart friend from foe and in humanity's darkest hour people still killed people. Nothing had changed but so much had.

Ten minutes later the second gate drew near and she slowed her jog. Her legs seared with a familiar ache and her breathing came in short spurts. She knew she had been too lax in keeping herself in shape but when you were protected by the best protection this new world had to offer, you didn't think about needed to survive the wilderness. She fed the card into the slot and let the safety of the walls. She carefully grabbed the card the system spat out for her and she took a deep breath in. She needed some time out in the wilderness, time to fight, time to think and breathe. She would only be gone the night, they wouldn't even notice her absence if she did it right.

Michonne started walking west, she had explored the broken dam but she wanted somewhere new to explore. Somewhere Merle hadn't killed all the walkers. She wanted to swing her katana again, feel the blade merge with her and become an extension of her limb. She wanted the natural fluidity of it. She glanced back at the walls and mentally told herself to make it back before dawn. Before anyone noticed she wasn't there.

* * *

Rick stared at his group. They didn't understand he was trying to do this for them. He wanted their security, their happiness. If it meant trying to take the main house that is what he would do.

"We will take the main house because we are not safe otherwise." He watched as Carol, Maggie, Beth, and Hershall stood up and left the room. Axel followed closely behind and he and Glenn were left. "No one needs to get hurt, all we need is to get her key card. That is all we need." He didn't understand but he was glad Glenn stood by him.

"Are we going to do it tonight?" Glenn looked at him and Rick nodded. They had to get it done and over with, the sooner the better. Glenn looked a bit nervous and Rick patted his shoulder.

"We have to secure a place for our family. She has already threatened to kick us out. I won't allow it, Glenn. This will be our home. One way or another." Rick started towards the door and he could hear Glenn following. They would end it, they would secure their place and they would do it tonight.

* * *

Eleanor knew they would follow her, they knew they would try something. They were going to try and catch her off guard. It had only been half an hour since she left but she knew. That is why she had pushed Merle inside the main house and locked the doors. Rick wasn't mentally stable, Susan had mentioned it in her report. There was something wrong with him, so when he called out to her to give him her key card, she stared at it and then looked at Merle before pressing the plastic card in his hand.

"Throw it, Merle. Lock them out. They need to be shown what their foolish ideas get them." It was a foolish plan on her part too, it relied on Briana coming home within a few days and that might not happen but she had to try. She had to do something and she had always been a pacifist. A minute ticked by and Rick repeated his request, banging on the front door to the house. She watched as Merle threw the card out the window at Rick.

"Take it ya fuckin' bastard." He closed the window and Eleanor covered her face with her hands as the three minutes ran out and metal shutters slammed over the windows and doors. The metal clangs reverberating in the now dark house. The faint sound of the generators turning off could be heard.

"It is done. Now let's hope Briana and Daryl are on their way." She reached out and grabbed Merle's arm. He stiffened but after a few second patted her hand.

"I bet ya a can'uv soup they are." Merle's tone tried to show that he was confident but Eleanor knew he was trying to hide the fact that if Briana and Daryl were coming back, they would have been back by now. She believed she had made one big mistake and it was going to get everyone killed.

* * *

Warning, the next few chapters aren't exciting as I had hoped but I am too tired to re-write them, so I apologize in advance.


	37. Chapter 36

I'm not even going to apologize for being late because its going to happen again. I'm sorry about the weak chapters. I know they suck, I've just haven't been on my best behaviour, creatively speaking.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Three days later**

They had gotten the truck fixed even though it had taken a bit longer than expected. The battery was destroyed so they had to scavenge another one as well as several spark plugs and some fuses. Bree had found a good supply of useful items around the farm and spent most of her time in the quonset with Daryl and Howard. Rysk and Jamie would come out to visit but she kept the conversations short and to the point. If they noticed anything they didn't say.

"So what is wrong, Briana? You are so quiet now days." Jamie's southern drawl made Bree wince. She didn't want to have that discussion with the pregnant woman.

"Bree suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder." Howard's voice almost made her knees buckle with relief. He would keep the conversation away from her. "She had to go through some pretty serious shit to get here and I for one am just glad she's alive. She spent ten months out on her own." He patted her shoulder and she just gave a sharp nod and climbed into the back of the grain truck where they had stored all the supplies.

"You're shitting me. Briana spent ten months on the outside? That's some pretty hardcore shit. Did you make yourself several bitches?" Rysk's tone was teasing and Bree felt herself crack a smile. He couldn't see it from her spot inside of the truck bed but it was like before. For a moment at least.

"Only way to survive out here, Rysk. Are we ready to go, Howard?" She shuffled the packs around and moved around the slip tank they had put in the back. It was a big one and had taken them several hours to get in there but they had managed it, somehow. She wasn't quite sure how they had managed it but it had gotten done.

"In a few more minutes, Briana. Daryl is grabbing the rest of the food from the house and then we can be on our way." His voice was punctuated by the sound of him opening the grain truck door. The sound came from the passenger side door and Bree climbed up the small ladder on the side of the grain truck's bin and watched as Daryl came back with a rather pathetic looking sack.

"I got what was left. Ain't much." He threw the bag up at her and Bree caught it with a practiced grab of her hand before descending back into the truck bed. She carefully placed the small bag of food with their other supplies and sat down on the stack of horse blankets she had thrown in there.

"Alright, now that we are all here, we can head off. I am afraid you and Briana are going to have to sit in the back. Its only for like four hours so it won't be too long." Rysk's voice was short and Bree knew he had yet to trust or forgive Daryl for being kind of a dick to him. She had to admit, he kind of brought it on himself but it was still a bit aggravating having them snip at each other.

"Sounds like I'm in fer a rough time then." His words came from the ladder and a few seconds later she saw the top of his head over the side of the truck. Moments later he was settled on the horse blankets beside her and the truck rumbled to life and Bree stared up at the clouds and the blue sky.

"Heading home. Feels nice doesn't it?" She felt the corner of her mouth curl upwards at his scoffing laugh.

"Headin' back t' boredom an' restlessness, ya mean." He leaned back and put his arm behind his head. Bree looked over at his and lifted her hand to his chest where she tapped an offbeat tempo on his firm muscles as the truck moved forwards.

"I'm sure we would be able to find some way to relieve the boredom." She felt a smirk crawl its way onto her face and Daryl grasped her hand in his, stilling her tapping fingers.

"I can't keep ya locked up all hours of the day. People would git suspicious." He threaded his fingers through hers and she shivered at the contact. She really liked Daryl, she liked his hands and his attitude, she like his personality and his muscled physique. She just liked him, it was pure and hormonal lust and she was sexually frustrated because of it.

"So? Would it be such a bad thing?" She felt a true smile cross her face as Daryl's eyebrow quirked upwards.

"Yer almost as adorable when ya smile as when yer scared." He kissed her forehead and Bree tightened her hand over his. Why couldn't life be as simple as holding hands? His callouses rubbed against her palm and sent shivers down her spine. They were the hands of someone who worked, someone who had a physical job. These weren't like Dr. Erwin's soft hands, a softness that only came from pushing papers rather than heavy loads. His were the hands of a hard worker and she found that undeniably sexy.

"Daryl, do we have to go back to hating each other when we get back?" She brushed her thumb against his skin and a soft smile danced on her lips. She wasn't sure what it was about him but he made that aching feeling she had around her at all times lift. He had managed to force himself in and she was glad he did.

"Only if ya do summin' stupid an' I'm forced t' hate cha." He pulled her closer, his lips brushing her ear and she felt herself shiver again. "I wouldn't hate ya if ya got naked right now." She could practically feel the smirk that crossed his lips and she chuckled.

"I wouldn't hate you if you got naked either." With that she reached down to pull her shirt up and Daryl stopped her.

"Hey, hey. I wanna do it." He smirked at her and his blue eyes smoldered. Bree bit her bottom lip and nodded as he slowly raised her shirt up over her toned belly. Her skin erupted in goose bumps from the cold air that brushed against it. The cold was soon replaced with Daryl's warm hands as he cupped her hips and slowly brought his hands up along the sides of her curves. "Darlin', it should be a sin t' have this soft of skin."

"It should be illegal to have hands like that, Daryl." She felt a smirk on her face and she watched as his head fell forward. He let out a slow breath against the skin near her navel but before he could do anything else a hard bump had separated them roughly. "For fuck's sake!" Bree huffed it out as she picked herself up from where she landed. She pushed her stray hair back from her face and scowled.

"What does the universe have against me getting laid?" She looked at Daryl who shook his head with a wry smile.

"Darlin, life jus' ain't fair." He looked at her and Bree sighed.

"Like I need you telling me that." She smiled to take the bite out of the words and Daryl flopped back down in the horse blankets. Bree maneuvered herself so she sat beside him. Her eyes took in the blue sky. "Did you ever think that this could have happened?" Daryl let out a small snort of air.

"Ain't no one in their right mind woulda thought this Hell up." He bumped her arm with his elbow. "Other than you. Two years before ya started buildin' those walls. Why?" Bree closed her eyes with a small smile. She wasn't happy no, it was just amusing to remember.

"You aren't far off. My family was big on conspiracy theories. Nuclear war, massive earthquake activity, UFO invasions, you name it. Not seriously, mind you, it was a fun family activity. Talking about how we would prepare for doomsday and so when I won the lottery I built is as a continuation of the family joke. I never thought for once I would have to use it." Bree remembered the different theories everyone used to have and she chuckled. "My fortress was a combination of all our theories but the walls. The walls were built to keep the rest of the world at bay. I built house upon house in there to bring people in, have my Red Seal in Carpentry because of it. But the walls, the walls I built to try and keep everything out. Thirteen square miles of safety. My own little world." Bree looked over at Daryl who had his eyebrows pulled low in concentration.

"Ya wanted t' keep ery'one out but then ya build all those houses. Why?" He turned his head to look at her and Bree gave a small smile before turning her gaze back towards the sky. She could feel her braid coming loose and she knew she would need to braid it again soon.

"Because if humanity went to shit, we wouldn't be human if we didn't help those we could. I wanted to keep the bad out but I didn't want to keep everyone else away. Most of the original inhabitants were our neighbours and their families. When everything went to shit their families escaped the cities but they didn't have a place to go so we opened the gates." Bree shrugged slightly. Her mind turned to Ben and she winced slightly. "Then there was Ben. Ben and his brothers were the sons of this old lady, Penny, I used to have tea with every Saturday. She used to talk about them like they hung the moon and the stars in the sky but after everything happened and her boys came back." Bree paused slightly and felt her face twist into a scowl.

"I opened the gates and we would go out looking for people to bring in. We found Ben and his brothers on the dirt road, they were driving Penny's truck and it was full of her food and pantry stuff. Well I asked where she was and I still remember what Ben said. 'She's old and she's going to die anyway, so we left her behind. She would only drag us down.' I was pissed to all hell and I drove to her place and I got her myself. After that, I didn't want Ben or his brothers inside but Penny said she told them to leave her and Howard said to give them a chance. So I did." She blinked a few times. "They didn't care about Penny at all. My family was there when she passed away. It was my family who took charge and made sure she couldn't come back. It was my family who made sure she was buried with a picture of her beloved family and it was my family who marked her grave. I should have kicked them out then but Ben had become a leader of sorts so I was stuck." Bree took a deep breath in and let it out in a slow hiss.

"This Hell has shaped us all. Like Dante in his own personal Hell, we adapt or die. We need to resist temptation and stay true to our path. I'm not saying we have to rely on religion, fuck no, but even when the world changes, having morals isn't such a terrible thing." Bree laughed suddenly. "I'm sorry, I didn't really mean to get off topic there. I bet you really didn't want to hear all of that."

"It's alright, darlin'. I don' mind. It's nice hearin' ya talk about before. I ain't got nothin' from there really. I prefer the after. I wasn't headin' anywhere good back then, now I have a family of sorts. I follow a good path now." He fell silent and Bree nodded. This life was difficult but it brought out the best and the worst in people. It brought out the best in Daryl and the worst in Ben but for Bree, she didn't know what it brought out in her. She doubted she ever would.

* * *

Michonne hid in the brush in the ditch as the grain truck rolled to a stop in front of the walls. Her stomach grumbled, it had been nearly two days since she had eaten anything. It had been a bit panic inducing when she realized she had been locked out of the walls but she had immediately gone into survival mode. After three days it was getting harder to find food and the grain truck was the only thing that had caught her eyes in days. No walkers, no humans, it was eerie. A man got out of the passenger side of the truck, he was walking on crutches and Michonne felt herself relax slightly. Her grip never loosened on her katana as she slowly moved closer. The man helped a very pregnant blonde woman out of the truck and Michonne relaxed completely.

It took her a few seconds before she could gather the nerve to reveal herself to the small group. She stood up and emerged from the bush, her hands up slightly.

"Hey, you." The man with the crutches was the first to see her and he waved he over with a large smile. "You look like you've had a rough go of it. If you promise not to chop us up with that katana we could take you inside." He pointed at the wall and Michonne smirked, either he was stupid or just didn't know but there was no getting in. She had spent three days trying.

"Who are you talking to, Howard?" A face peeked over the edge of the grain truck side and Michonne blinked quickly. That wasn't possible. "You! Daryl! It's that woman with the katana. The one from your group that liked herding the sheep as they grazed." Bree climbed over the side of the truck and Michonne stared as Daryl climbed down right behind her.

"Michonne, her name is Michonne, Darlin'." He waved at her and Michonne walked over quickly.

"You're supposed to be dead." She pointed at him and then looked at Bree. "You, your mother told us about you. Rick locked the system. I can't get in. Rations are stopped and it's been locked down for three days. Get us back in." She dug her card out of her pocket, glad she hadn't thrown it and watched as Bree went into offensive mode, a knife appearing in her hand.

"What did he do to my mother?" The words were spoken in a low tone and Michonne shrugged but her muscles tensed, anticipating an attack. Bree didn't look to be in the mood to be fucked with. Her eyes were hard and her stance showed just how comfortable she would be attacking her.

"I don't know. I left before anything happened. I killed a few walkers, went back to the gate and found out my card doesn't work. Rick planned on taking the main house. He said we weren't safe. I didn't want any part of it so I left to clear my head." Michonne held up her hands and tried to look non-threatening.

"If he has hurt my mother, I'll gut him and then I'll gut everyone who supported such a fucking stupid plan." She pointed her knife at her and Daryl frowned, reaching for Bree. Michonne watched the interaction with slight curiosity.

"Darlin'-"

"Don't you fucking start! If Rick has hurt my mother be sure that all kinds of hell is going to fall on his head and the heads of everyone who helped him. That is my _family_!" Bree sheathed her knife and walked over. Michonne handed her the card and Bree scowled. "For fuck's sake! Rysk, I need a radio." Michonne watched as Bree stormed around, it would have been amusing if the woman wasn't muttering threats under her breath and looking like she was willing to kill anyone who so much as looked at her the wrong way.

"What happened, Michonne? Everything was fine." Daryl startled her slightly and Michonne shook her head.

"Rick's not right. He got worse, seeing enemies where there were none. His paranoia made his believe they were going to kick us out. He wanted to make sure that didn't happen. Glenn agreed with him and everyone else said no." She kept her eyes on Bree.

"What's going on, Bree? Talk to me." The man leaning against the crutches reached for her and Michonne watched the action with interest. There was a relationship there, she didn't know what kind but a relationship.

"The system has been shut down. Mum's card was taken and now it is stuck in a lock down." Her voice was clipped and hard but Michonne didn't blame her. She comes back from the dead and discovered someone tried to have a mini revolution in her absence.

"Why did no one stop him?" Daryl looked at her and Michonne shrugged. Bree was tearing apart the hand held radio, the entire process interested Michonne.

"What do you say to a person who believes he sees his wife and who believes we are all in danger?" She moved closer to the smaller woman as she attached the key card to some wires in the radio and closed the case.

"Bree, why don't you just do it at the gate?" It was the crutch man again and Michonne silently agreed.

"I can't. I need to talk to Tammy." The words were odd and silence fell as she turned on the radio. It crackled to life.

"Password." The voice was feminine and Michonne was almost surprised.

"Tammy, don't be a twat. Unlock the system." Bree's voice had a hard edge and her hand shook.

"That's not the password." Michonne smirked at the reply. Whoever Tammy was, they had a bit of attitude. It was her kind of person, not taking shit from anyone.

* * *

Alrighty. That is done then. I really need to shrug off this block I am slamming into currently.


End file.
